Crash
by SantittanyForever
Summary: Quinn knows she will never be the same after the car crash that happened the day of Rachel's wedding. But she vows to get better, and during her journey of recovery, she finds solace in the one person she never expected.
1. Chapter 1

**This is basically my idea of what could happen when Glee returns to our screens in 7 weeks time, with the whole Quinn-car-crash storyline. Which I think was AWFUL, by the way. I couldn't stop crying, I had to excuse myself and go to the bathroom before I burst into tears in the middle of college! But anyway, enough of this heartbreak. On with the fic, mis amigos!**

**Oh yeah. This fic starts off from Santana's POV, but will eventually change to Quinn's, as the Faberry-ness kicks in. **

* * *

><p>Santana shuffled her feet impatiently, huffing loudly to signal her displeasure at being kept waiting. Brittany giggled a little at this, and squeezed the Latina's hand reassuringly, willing her to calm down and just wait patiently like everyone else. Then, music began playing, the soft tinkering of fingers stroking a piano could be heard, and everyone turned to watch as the large oak doors at the end of the aisle began to swing open gracefully.<p>

Once they had completed their journey, sweeping open gently like a blooming flower in June, gasps could be heard as the doors revealed what they had been concealing. There stood Rachel Berry, radiant as the sun at its highest peak. Her hair was pulled back loosely into her veil, which swung softly down her back. Her dress, shimmering white, contrasted sharply with her tan skin, making it look as though she was glowing. She beamed at her audience, her eyes bright with excitement. She had her dads on either side of her, and took each of their outstretched arms happily, as they began making their way towards the altar.

Santana had to admit; Berry looked good. Not that she'd ever say that out loud, but it was the truth. Beside her, she heard Brittany let out a gasp, as she breathed,

"Wow, San. She looks like an angel."

Santana couldn't help but to smile at her adorable girlfriend, who then proceeded to plant a light kiss on the Latina's lips, much to her surprise and pleasure. They then turned their attention back to Rachel, who had by now reached the altar and had her eyes trained on the door, seeming to be eagerly waiting for Finn.

However, Santana noticed that Rachel was not in fact facing the door through which the groom would be arriving any minute; she was, to Santana's surprise, yearningly gazing at the door through which the guests arrived. Santana's brow furrowed, as she couldn't understand why the bride would be looking for anyone other than the man she was about to marry. Then it hit her; Quinn.

The blonde girl hadn't arrived yet, and Rachel seemed to be anxiously searching for her, her gaze wondering back to that door every few seconds or so. Santana smirked to herself, satisfied in the knowledge that what she had suspected for months had just been confirmed; _Rachel's got a thing for Quinn. _

But, just as she was about to lean over and whisper her new-found gossip to Brittany, she felt her phone buzz. She reached into her bra to retrieve it – well, she was wearing a bridesmaid's dress, where else was she supposed to put it? – and glanced at the screen to check the caller ID. The number was unfamiliar to her, but she thought she should answer it just in case it was something important.

Brittany nudged her and frowned a little, shaking her head to try to convince Santana to just put her phone away and focus on the wedding, as Finn was now making his way down the aisle with his mum and he would soon be at the altar with Rachel. But Santana was curious as to who would be calling her, so she put her finger to her lips to signal Brittany to keep quiet, flipped her phone open, and whispered,

"Hello?"

"Hi. May I speak to Santana please?"

"This is she. And who, may I ask, is this?"

"This is Detective Fitch, from the Lima Police. I'm afraid there's been an accident..."

* * *

><p><strong>DUN DUN DUNNNN. I know, it's mean of me to leave you guys hanging like that.. (8) YOU JUST KEEP ME HANGIN' ON, OOH OOH OOH OOH! (8) -sorry, I couldn't help myself xD <strong>

**Oh, and I must add this - one of my favourite EVER Quinn quotes:**

**"My baby hormones are making me moody." :D **

****But yeah, enough with this incessant chattering. Let me know what you all think of this chapter, and reviews are very much appreciated as always! ^^****


	2. Chapter 2

"_Hello?"_

"_Hi. May I speak to Santana please?"_

"_This is she. Who, may I ask, is this?"_

_"This is Detective Fitch, from the Lima Police. I'm afraid there's been an accident..."_

* * *

><p>Rachel then turned, distracted by the sudden noise coming from behind her, and rolled her eyes at Santana.<p>

"Look Santana, I understand that this may not be the most exciting time for you, and that you'd rather be off somewhere stealing a child's candy or having your way with Brittany, but this is MY weeding day, so I would REALLY appreciate it if you just got off the phone and..."

But her words died in her throat as she looked at the expression on Santana's face. It was as if she had seen a ghost; her face had drained of all colour, her eyes were wide, and she stood frozen, as rigid as an iceberg floating on the icy tips of the sea.

Brittany too had noticed the sudden change in Santana's body language, and leaned down so she was face to face with the terrified-looking brunette.

"San? Honey? What's wrong?"

Santana seemed to wake up slightly then, taking in a sharp breath that she didn't know she was holding. She then looked at Brittany, her eyes filling with tears.

"San! Talk to me. What happened? Why are you crying?"

Meanwhile, Rachel was muttering to herself angrily,

"Even on own wedding day, I can't be the centre of attention. I mean, once I'm on Broadway, of course I'll have hundreds of adoring fans screaming my name and throwing roses at my feet, but is it too much to ask that I just get all of the attention all the time? It's not like I don't deserve it, I am the most talented person in this room; I'm probably the most talented person in all of Lima. This is just ridiculous..."

But, while Rachel was busy mumbling, which drew her some confused looks from her fathers, Hiram and LeRoy, Brittany was trying to calm Santana down and find out what had happened to make her so distraught.

"Babe? Look, you're scaring me now. Please, just talk to me!"

She was speaking in a hushed whisper now, as the ceremony had begun, and as Santana finally raised her eyes to meet Brittany's, the blonde could see just how petrified and panic-stricken her girlfriend actually was.

Santana took in a few deep breaths, and then spoke in a shaky voice,

"I need you to stop the ceremony."

"What? San, are you insane? Rachel would KILL US. Literally, she'd get so mad, and she's a Berry, so she'd probably explode and there would be strawberry jam all over the place, and I don't know if you've ever had strawberry jam in your hair, but it is not easy to get out, especially when Lord Tubbington's chasing you while trying to eat your face..."

Santana then placed her hands on each of Brittany's shoulders and shook her gently, trying to convey just how serious her plea was.

"Britt, PLEASE. You need to stop this ceremony, NOW. It's really important. Please."

Brittany could hear the urgency and desperation in her girlfriend's voice, so knew that this wasn't some prank she was pulling just to get at Rachel. So, the dancer turned to face the crowd of unsuspecting guests, clearing her throat, and then shouted loudly,

"EXCUSE ME!"

The priest who was officiating the ceremony glanced at the blonde in surprise, and slowly all of the other eyes in the room landed on her. Rachel was one of the last to look, her expression a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"Brittany! What are you DOING? Have you gone crazy? You're not supposed to interrupt the ceremony!" Rachel hissed.

"I'm really sorry about this, but I have had specific orders from Santana to stop this ceremony. Thing is, I don't really know why..." Brittany trailed off, adopting her familiar look of confusion.

Santana then walked forward, trembling slightly. Rachel's eyebrows rose slightly; she had never seen the Latina look so broken, so helpless. Brittany slipped her hand into Santana's, hoping the gesture would offer the stricken girl some comfort and support.

"S-sorry to interrupt like this everyone. But... but there's something... there's something I need to tell some of you... mainly the Glee kids."

She took another shaky breath, raising her eyes to meet the questioning gaze of the brunette standing in the white dress, and said,

"Quinn... Quinn was in a car accident on her way here. She... she was texting, and didn't see the car coming at her from the side. It... It smashed into her, and she... she's in the hospital..." Santana then broke down, her resolve shattering, covering her face with her hands as a strangled sob tore from her throat. The sound was so heart-wrenching, so full of pain; it was the sound of pure heart break.

A ripple passed through the crowd before Santana, as everyone took in what she was saying. The Glee kids looked horrified; unable to believe that such a terrible thing had happened to the pretty blonde whom they all now saw as a good friend.

Their reactions were instantaneous. Mercedes had begun sobbing quietly as Sam wrapped his arm around her protectively; Tina looked stunned, gripping onto Mike's hand for dear life; Kurt's eyes were swimming with tears, as Blaine just stared ahead of him in shock; Puck and Mr Shue exchanged a look of pure panic over the heads of their friends, while Sugar was being comforted simultaneously by Rory and Artie. Santana, meanwhile, had lost the ability to talk or even move; she was rooted to the spot, the violent sobs that wracked her slender frame every few seconds were the only indication that she was still alive and breathing. Brittany was shaking uncontrollably next to her, clinging onto Santana's hand for dear life, letting the tears roll down her face freely, her grief just too much to hold in. But the person whose reaction was the most sudden, the most emotional, was Rachel.

"_Quinn was in a car accident on her way here..."_

As those words sunk into her brain, she felt her legs grow weak beneath her. She collapsed to the ground, unable to support herself, and felt herself grow dizzy. A feeling of nausea enveloped her, and she took to taking in deep breaths to stop herself from emptying the contents of her stomach onto the red velvet carpet that lay under her. She felt hot, searing tears prickling at the back of her eyes, and begun to weep hysterically, her sorrow laid out bare for all to see.

Finn, meanwhile, had watched this unfold, and was more than a little confused. He had been under the impression that, although Rachel and Quinn had now begun a tentative friendship, he didn't think they regarded each other as 'close friends'. But, judging by the brunette's reaction, he concluded that they must be a lot closer than he thought. He then knelt down, gathering Rachel into his arms gently. He tenderly brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, and planted a tender kiss onto her forehead.

"Hey. Rachel, look at me. Come on, please calm down." He pleaded, panic evident in his dark brown eyes. "Look, everything's going to be fine. I know this is awful, but, we're going to get married, and then we'll go to New York and try to, y'know, get past this."

Rachel then looked up at Finn in disbelief, unable to comprehend what he was saying.

"I'm sorry, what? You think, after this, after what's just happened, we're still going to get married and carry on as if nothing happened?"

"No, I, I didn't mean that, I meant..."

Rachel gaped at him, shock and disappointment adorning her striking features, until her eyes widened in realisation.

"Oh wow. I think this has finally helped me see what kind of a person you are Finn. You claim to be all for 'helping' people; but only if there's something in it for you. Like when you were 'helping' Santana deal with coming out; you really just wanted her and the rest of the Troubletones back in the New Directions so we could win Sectionals. And now, when we've all been hit by what's possibly the worst news most of us have ever heard, you go and say that? ... I've never been so ashamed of you Finn."

"Wha- Rachel!" he shouted, as she suddenly stood up and strode purposefully across the room, towards her dads who were talking quietly to one another.

"Dads. I want to leave. Now. I want to go home, get some sleep, and then go and visit Quinn in the hospital tomorrow if I can."

Hiram and LeRoy both stared at Rachel incredulously, taken aback by her sudden change of heart.

"But, um, I thought you had your heart set on marrying Finn?" Hiram asked, although he was still secretly pleased that the wedding wasn't going to happen.

"I thought I did too. But now I see that he isn't the one for me after all. I mean, look at this place. Everyone else who knows Quinn is concerned, and upset, and everything you're supposed to feel when something bad happens to a friend. But not Finn. Of all people, I thought he would be the most compassionate when it came to this sort of thing. But I guess I was wrong."

Rachel could feel new tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke; sure, she didn't want to marry Finn anymore, and was utterly disgusted by what he had said, but that didn't make leaving him any easier. She grasped LeRoy's hand and turned to leave, but was halted by a firm hand grabbing her wrist.

"Rachel, wait! Are you seriously going to walk out on me at our wedding, all because of some stupid comment I made?"

"Yes. Because to me, that comment wasn't stupid. It was cruel and heartless; everything I thought you were not. I can't be with someone who doesn't care about others. Granted, I have been known to be a little selfish" - this caused Santana to emit a tiny snort from where she stood behind them, despite the small sobs still causing her body to tremble – "but I would never simply disregard another person, especially if they needed help, and especially if they were our friend. So yes Finn, I am leaving you. I... I can't marry you. Goodbye."

And with that, she turned and walked out of the now half-empty church, closely followed by her fellow Glee club members, who all shot looks of disdain towards Finn. Santana and Brittany were two of the last to leave, and just as they were about to step outside, Santana turned to Finn and said,

"You know what, Finn? For a while there, I tried to convince myself that you were a decent guy, who actually gave a damn about his friends. But, look at that, once again, my instincts were right. I always knew you had a bit of a self-centred side, but I never thought it was this bad. I mean, this is Quinn we're talking about, Finn! Quinn, the girl who you dated. Quinn, the girl who, no matter what has happened, is still mine and Britt's best friend! You know what? I've been mad at you, I've laughed at you, I've even felt sorry for you... but never have I felt so much disgust towards you. You make me feel sick to my stomach."

And with that, she turned, took Brittany's hand in her own, and walked out of the church, leaving Finn to drown in a pool of his own misery and shame.

* * *

><p><strong>Next update should be along soon! I know this chapter was a tad long, but there was a lot of stuff I wanted to get in. What did all you Gleeks think of Chapter 2? ^^<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**So guys and gals, Chapter 3 has now arrived! ^^ **

**Oh, I have something to say regarding Chapter 1, which I'm rather annoyed about – when Santana pulls her phone out from her bra during the wedding, I was supposed to mention that she had in fact taped it to her underboob! But, for some irritating reason, I forgot to include that part in so, I thought I would tell you all now. Better late than never! xD**

**Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far: Gabbie, wagner710, brittanaaremylovelies, BicornZombie, and Vidyah. I love you guys, you're all so unicorn! :D**

* * *

><p>Rachel blinked her eyes groggily as they adjusted to the piercing morning sun, streaming steadily through her large French windows. She yawned sleepily, rubbing her eyes and stretching, arching her back. She reached over to pick up her phone; she had 6 missed calls from Brittany, and 3 texts from Santana. She frowned to herself, puzzled as to why the two cheerleaders seemed so desperate to contact her. She opened the messages, one by one:<p>

**-Hey Berry, where are you?**

**-You were supposed to be here 15 minutes ago, it can't take that long to decided which terrible outfit you're going to wear today!**

**-HEY DWARF. You better get your lazy ass down to the hospital now, before I go ALL Lima Heights! SOY DE LIMA HEIGHTS ADJACENT Y YO TENGO ORGULLOS. SABES LO QUE PASA EN LIMA HEIGHTS ADJACENT? COSAS MALAS! **

Rachel then glanced over at her clock, checking the time.

11:48.

"Shit!" she exclaimed loudly. She was supposed to be meeting Santana and Brittany at the hospital at 11:00 to visit Quinn, yet her alarm had failed to wake her up. She grumbled to herself angrily, as she flung the covers off herself and ran to the bathroom. She showered and dressed as fast as she could, pulling her hair into a scruffy ponytail as she ran around her room in search of her car keys. She found them on top of her dresser, and then raced downstairs, grabbing a banana as she went.

"Hey honey, where are you going in such a hurry?" called Hiram.

"Going to see Quinn! Overslept! See you later!" Rachel replied, as she was halfway out the front door and down the driveway. She yanked the door of her car open forcefully, clambering in and shoving the keys into the ignition. The engine roared to life, a lion trapped in a cage of steel and chrome, and she sped off down the street. She wanted to calm her growing nerves, and decided the best way to do that would be in true Rachel Berry style; by blaring the newest Barbra Streisand CD out of the windows at the highest volume and singing at the top of her lungs,

"_DON'T BRING AROUND A CLOUD TO RAIN ON MY PARAAAADE!"_

* * *

><p>Rachel arrived at the hospital shortly after, pulling into one of the visitor's parking spots. She opened her door and hopped out of the car, straightening out her wrinkled shirt and trying to make herself look presentable. She checked her hair in the wing mirror, sighing discontentedly. She wished she had had more time to get ready; she wanted to look good, even though Quinn probably wasn't too concerned with the latest fashion trends at this particular moment in time.<p>

She then walked up to the automatic doors, venturing in timidly. Although the relationship between her and Santana had become slightly less hostile ever since the Latina had started dating Brittany, they still weren't on the best terms. So, understandably, she was terrified of how the fiery girl was going to react to her arriving so late. She took a breath to steady her nerves and walked up to the front desk.

"Um, excuse me. I'm here to see Quinn Fabray?"

"Ah yes, one of our new patients. May I ask what your relationship with the patient is?"

Rachel froze for a second, the words '_The girl I'm in love with'_ floating momentarily through her brain.

"Um, we're friends. We go to the same school. I was meant to be here earlier, but I got… held up."

"Oh, are you with the two girls who arrived earlier? Very well. Room 216, on the second floor. That's where you'll find your friend."

The nurse behind the desk offered Rachel a kind smile, as the brunette nodded nervously and made her way towards the second floor.

* * *

><p>She stood outside Room 216, shaking slightly, from either fear or excitement, she did not know. She exhaled slowly, and then reached out to turn the door handle. The door opened easily, as if it was beckoning her into the room. She poked her head through the doorframe, and was momentarily stunned by what she saw.<p>

Santana was sitting in a chair next to the bed, which was occupied by the form of a sleeping Quinn. She was holding the blonde's hand, rubbing it soothingly. But the thing that shocked Rachel the most was the steady stream of tears that were coursing down the Latina's tan face. Brittany was sitting next to Santana, holding her other hand tenderly while her head leaned on her girlfriend's shoulder. Both girls glanced up when they noticed the movement by the door, and Rachel swallowed loudly.

"Hey." She said softly, trying not to upset Santana more by antagonising her. "Look, Santana, I'm so sorry I'm late. I set my alarm, but, I don't know what happened, I mean, it must've broken, or something, I just…"

"Rachel. It's… It's okay." Santana sniffled quietly.

Rachel stared at her in shock, expecting a much more volatile response. But when she took in Santana's deflated form, she knew the girl just didn't have it in her to fight with anyone. Not when her best friend was lying in a hospital bed, unable to move or even talk. Santana then looked at Rachel, and said,

"The doctor said they had to give her some heavy pain medication, so she's going to be unconscious for a while. I just... I just wish she would wake up, so we can know she's going to be okay."

Rachel was stunned into silence for a second, staring at the sad, broken girl in front of her. Then, she did something that surprised even herself. She crossed the room in three brief strides, then gathered Santana up in her arms and held her tightly. The Latina, much to Rachel's surprise, didn't resist, choosing instead to simply wrap her arms gently around Rachel's waist, resting her head on her shoulder. Rachel then released Santana, turned towards Brittany, and gave her a hug too. Then, all three girls stood, watching Quinn sorrowfully, appreciating each small breath she took, and appreciating the fact that she was still alive.

They may not have been the best of friends, but, in that moment, they were brought together in their grief and pain.

"Well", Santana sighed, "I think it's time for Britts and me to head home. You wanna stay at mine tonight baby?"

"Yes please, Sanny", answered Brittany in a small, scared voice. Santana could tell that Quinn's accident had hit Brittany hard, so was prepared to do anything to try to help her get through it.

"Come on beautiful. Let's go back to mine; we can cuddle in bed and talk about all the fun things we did with Q over the past three years." Santana smiled at her girlfriend lovingly, gently taking her hand and leading her towards the door.

Santana then turned to Rachel, smiling slightly.

"Take care of her Rachel. We'll be back tomorrow to see her again, so... I guess we'll see you then."

"I will. And Santana... you know, you're not that bad when you're being nice." said Rachel, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Gee, thanks Berry. I guess you're not so bad yourself." smirked Santana. "Come on Britt, let's go."

"Bye Rach. Please take care of Quinnie, and call us if she wakes up." said Brittany softly, another delicate tear escaping from its prison and travelling down smooth porcelain cheeks.

The two girls then left the hospital, walking towards Santana's car, hand in hand.

Now that she was finally alone with Quinn, Rachel turned back to face the hospital bed, her heart shattering slightly as she watched Quinn's lifeless form breathing deeply. She took a minute to look at the blonde, really look at her, and only then did she see the full extent of the damage Quinn had suffered. Her legs were both in plaster casts, covered by a think blue blanket. Her arms had scratches on them, and she had a bandage wrapped around two fingers on her left hand, which Rachel presumed were broken. Quinn's face was marred with cuts and bruises, her chest peppered with angry red grazes.

Rachel could feel herself about to break down once again, so decided to sit in the chair next to Quinn's bed. The blonde's hand was hanging limply over the side of the bed, and Rachel only hesitated for a second before reaching over and taking Quinn's hand in her own.

"Oh Quinn. Why did I have to text you? If only you... If only you hadn't tried to reply... If you'd just kept your eyes on the road, then maybe... Maybe none of this would have happened! I'm sorry Quinn. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

And with that, Rachel began to sob, each gasp tearing through her, feeling as though her soul was being ripped apart by only the most ferocious and vile demons.

But suddenly, she felt pressure being applied to her hand. She raised her head slowly, not daring herself to get her hopes up, in case she was imagining it. But no. _Quinn was squeezing her hand. _That only meant one thing.

"Excuse me! Doctor! Is there a doctor around? Anyone? Please! She's moving! Quinn's moving! She's awake; she squeezed my hand, look!"

A doctor, who had heard Rachel's cries as he was passing by Quinn's room, rushed in immediately. Rachel felt her heart begin to race, as she stared desperately at Quinn, willing the silent girl to move again. Then, Rachel spoke to her, hoping her voice would encourage Quinn to try to wake up.

"Quinn? Quinn! It's me, Rachel. Come on, I know you can hear me. Just, please, please move your hand, or open your eyes, or just do something. Please!"

There was a moment of silence, which lasted a heartbeat but felt like hours to Rachel. Then, something magical happened. Quinn's eyelids began to flutter, opening slowly, until her hazel-green eyes fell upon Rachel, standing at her bedside, holding her hand. _Rachel was holding her hand. _Quinn took a deep breath in, wincing at the slight pain that shot up her side, and then, mustering all of her energy, moved her hand away from Rachel's firm grasp.

Rachel's face fell, as she saw Quinn pull her hand away from hers. The hurt she felt stung, like she was being whipped repeatedly by relentless soldiers on a mission to destroy her spirit.

"I'm sorry Miss, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave. Miss Fabray needs intensive care right now, to fully deal with her extensive injuries, so you'll have to come back when she's in a more stable condition." said the doctor, much to Rachel's dismay.

And with that, Rachel turned and walked out of Room 216, down the stairs, and out through the front doors. But, as she approached her car, she vowed to come back when Quinn was a bit better, and help her in any way she could, simply because she loved her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Once again, a massive thank you to everyone who has been following this fic! I know this may sound silly, but I've got the most favourites, alerts, and reviews I've ever had before with this story, so I am extremely flattered and grateful to all you lovely people who have been reading ^^ **

**Also, thanks to Gleeko for reviewing; your wish is now my command, for here is some more for you to read and hopefully enjoy :D **

**This chapter's pretty lengthy, the longest I've written so far actually, because there was quite a lot off stuff I wanted to get in, mainly the Brittana interaction in the middle.**

**So, onwards my fellow Gleeks, your quest for Chapter 4 has now begun! Or, y'know, something that isn't totally lame and nerdy xD -I'm really hyper right now because I was just listening to the amazing songs from On My Way ^^**

**ANYWAY. Enough of this meaningless chitter-chatter. Here's Chapter Four! (: **

* * *

><p>Rachel became a frequent visitor to the hospital after that, much to the annoyance of Lisa, the nurse who worked behind the desk. And if she wasn't visiting, you could be quite sure that she was at home, either calling the hospital or leaving them messages, telling them to get in touch if there was any change in Quinn's condition, and to let her know when visitors were going to be allowed back in to Quinn's room.<p>

Little did Rachel know that the nurses in the hospital loved nothing more than a good gossip whenever they got a moment to spare, and that as a result of that, despite her trying her hardest to keep it hidden, the brunette's unrelenting quest to see Quinn wasn't kept quiet for very long.

* * *

><p>The blonde ex-cheerleader stirred slightly, having being woken by the faint sound of chatter coming from behind the curtain that was stretched and extended around her bed. She could not be seen by those around her, but that didn't mean that she couldn't hear what was being said. She listened intently, in an attempt to hear the conversation that was being exchanged by what seemed to be two female nurses who were clearly under the impression that she was sound asleep, and managed to catch snippets of what they were saying...<p>

"Well, I think it's sweet."

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I mean, this girl claims that they're just friends? Well, let me assure you, I have never in all my years as a nurse known of a 'friend' who was this insistent."

"Well, all I'm saying is that this Rachel Berry must really care about Miss Fabray, to be constantly bugging poor Lisa about when she can see her."

The voices then began to fade away, as the nurses made their way towards a new destination, until their conversation was no longer audible. But Quinn failed to notice the silence that now filled the room, as she was paralysed by the simple few sentences she had just heard.

"_...never in all my years as a nurse known of a 'friend' who was this insistent..."_

"_...this Rachel Berry must really care about Miss Fabray..."_

Quinn then began to rack her brains, trying to think of anything that would determine whether what she had overheard had any amount of truth to it.

Sure, lately she and Rachel had become a lot closer. They'd started hanging out a bit after school, seeing movies, having girly days with Santana and Brittany. But that all seemed normal to Quinn, nothing that would lead her to believe that Rachel saw her as anything more than a friend. But then, she began to think more, and realised that she had seen a lot of little warning signs over the past few weeks, even if she hadn't consciously noticed them at first.

Rachel blushing if Quinn accidentally brushed her hand when reaching over her to get something; Rachel giggling at everything Quinn said, even if it wasn't particularly amusing; Rachel defending Quinn a few weeks ago when a freshman had made fun of her for not being on the Cheerio's anymore; Rachel_ holding her hand a few days ago when she visited her in the hospital._

Quinn could feel herself blushing slightly, becoming increasingly flustered the more she thought about this, which made her heart rate escalate noticeably. This in turn made her heart monitor start beeping erratically, which brought her to a passing nurses' attention. The nurse then entered Quinn's room, quickly paging the doctor that was in charge of Quinn while she was under the hospital's care. The doctor then came rushing in, asking if everything was okay. Quinn stated adamantly that she was fine, but the doctor insisted that something must be causing her heart to suddenly begin thumping like this, and that he was going to give her a sedative to help her calm down, so she wouldn't make her condition even worse.

So, ignoring Quinn's feeble cries of protest, he proceeded to give her a dose of sedative hypnotic sleeping pills, which, despite her efforts to fight against it, made her eyelids grow heavy, and soon had the blonde drifting off into a world of fantasy and darkness.

* * *

><p>"This is bullcrap! I don't understand this at all!"<p>

Santana was pacing back and forth across Brittany's room, anger and frustration evident in her dark eyes and clenched fists.

"Look Sanny, just calm down. I'm sure they'll call us when she wakes up and then we'll be able to go and visit her. She probably just needs some time to-"

"Time to what, Britt? Because from what I can see, there isn't really much on Q's agenda right now; SHE CAN'T EVEN SPEAK TO US. I just don't see why we, as her best friends, aren't allowed to see her and try to help her get better."

Suddenly, all of Santana's anger seemed to dissipate. It was as if her rage had simply dissolved, and she collapsed backwards onto the bed next to Brittany, deflated. Brittany's eyebrows furrowed sympathetically; she knew that her girlfriend was having a hard time dealing with all of this, and that being angry was her way of expressing her feelings, even if she wasn't actually angry at anyone.

The blonde pulled the Latina close to her, holding her tenderly and stroking her cheek lovingly.

"San? Look babe, I know you're upset right now; we all are. But we can't do anything if the people at the hospital won't let us in to see Quinn. To be honest, I didn't really like it there. I got a bit creeped out when we passed that room they use for operations; it looked like the room on that spaceship where I got probed."

Santana let out a small giggle, and kissed Brittany's cheek, grateful to have her there; she always knew how to cheer her up.

"Yeah I know, you're right Britt. But I… I just miss her, y'know? I mean, I know we had some problems last year, but we had just started to make amends and get over that, and then…"

Santana sniffled quietly, and Brittany rubbed her arm soothingly.

"Well San, soon she'll wake up, and then we can visit her loads and make more amends. What do you use to make amends San? Do we need to go to that store that sells art stuff? Or is it a food? Because you know that I find recipes confusing."

Santana stared at Brittany in disbelief, then out of her exploded a laugh. It was the first time Brittany had heard the brunette laugh in a while, and it was wonderful. It echoed around the room, her nose crinkling in that way that made Brittany's heart do somersaults. Then suddenly, Santana snorted, which had Brittany in hysterics too. Their laughter then subsided into quiet giggles, as the two girls lay facing each other, smiling happily.

Santana brushed a stray strand of blonde away from Brittany's face, then leaned in to kiss her gently. Brittany smiled a little as Santana's lips connected with hers, and then began to kiss her back tenderly. Then, just when things started to heat up, the sound of quacking began to resonate around the room. Santana sprung away from Brittany, startled by the interruption. She then narrowed her eyes, turning to face Brittany.

"Britt-Britt, PLEASE tell me you didn't 'rescue' another duck from the petting zoo again?"

"No", Brittany giggled, "It's just my phone."

She leaned over Santana to pick up her phone from the side table, planting a light kiss on Santana's full lips, before settling back on the bed.

"Oh, I've got a text! It's from Rachel…"

Santana's eyes widened, wondering if she had any news about Quinn. She watched Brittany's face carefully for any signs. She sighed impatiently, wishing Brittany was a faster reader.

"Ay, dios mio! What does it say Britt?"

"Um, I'm not sure. Rachel uses really long words…"

Santana then grabbed the phone from Brittany's hands, huffing irritably. She scrolled to the top of the text and began reading:

**-Hello Brittany. As I'm sure you are aware, I have been monitoring Quinn relentlessly ever since our brief encounter at the hospital, and I have just been told something that is of utmost importance, hence why I felt the need to text you. I believe both you and Santana will be ecstatic when I inform you that I have just conversed with the doctor who is taking care of Quinn, and he has just divulged information regarding Quinn's recovery. He revealed to me that Quinn has in fact been awake for a number of days, and that we are now permitted to visit her. Therefore, I shall be making my way over to the hospital at approximately 16:00 this afternoon, and was contemplating whether you and Santana would like to accompany me? If you wish to do so, I shall meet you in the reception at the aforementioned time. I hope to see you both there. –Rachel 'Barbra' Berry. **

"Yes! Britt, Quinn's awake! She's awake! Gracias a dios! Come on Britt, let's get ready! Vamos!"

* * *

><p>Santana pulled up outside of the hospital, checking the time hurriedly.<p>

15:58.

"Come on Britt, we don't wanna be late!"

The Latina ran around to the passenger side, flinging open the door and grabbing the startled blonde's hand, practically dragging her out of the car.

She marched up to the front desk, charging through the doors like a soldier on a mission. Brittany followed behind her, clutching onto Santana's hand, nibbling her lip nervously.

"Rachel? Rachel! Where is that unnervingly small girl?" Santana demanded, growing more and more frustrated.

"…Santana?" said a voice from behind her, and the Latina's head whipped round, her eyes meeting the timid gaze of Rachel Berry, who was a few feet behind her, emerging from the bathroom.

"Oh, there you are! What were you doing?"

"Well San, she was in the toilet, so…" murmured Brittany, in an attempt to help.

"Ay! I know what she was doing Britt, I just meant… Oh, never mind! Are we going in or what?"

Brittany and Rachel then nodded, proceeding to follow Santana, who had began to make her way up the stairs leading to Quinn's room, all the while muttering to herself,

"Honestly. Estamos en una apuro, y ella va al baño maldita como el que tenemos todo el tiempo en el mundo!"

Brittany just smiled at this; she found it rather endearing when Santana reverted back to her Spanish roots when she was talking. Plus, she had to admit, it was super hot. But her train of thought was then cut short by Rachel and Santana coming to a halt outside a door in front of her.

"Here we are." Santana whispered. She reached down to take Brittany's hand, looking for comfort and reassurance. Brittany smiled at her encouragingly, then looked at Rachel and said,

"Okay. Let's do this."

Santana took a deep breath, then reached out and turned the door handle. The girls each exchanged one last nervous glance, then made their way forward slowly.

They entered the bright room, the walls painted a dazzling yellow.

"Yeah, like some freakin' paint will make everything better." mumbled Santana.

But then, her attention was caught by a mess of blonde hair peeking up from under the blue cotton sheets that covered the bed in front of them. Her gaze was met by intense, sky-blue eyes, and then, she heard a gentle voice speak softly from behind the blue shield;

"Hi."

* * *

><p><strong>OH I KNOW, I'M AWFUL, LEAVING YOU ALL ON A CLIFFHANGER LIKE THAT ;D I think I kinda had to though, this chapter was bordering on being illegally long – it's almost 3000 words! – so I thought I would end it here then continue this scene in Chapter 5 (:<strong>

**And, in case any of you were wondering – the Spanish line Santana says while they're walking to Quinn's room means: "We're in a hurry, and she's going to the damn bathroom like we have all the time in the world!"**

**RANT TIME**** – WHO ELSE IS DYING BECAUSE OF THIS 7-WEEK BREAK? D: although, here in England it's not too bad, because we now have Yes/No airing on TV today, and the rest of the episodes will be shown over the following weeks, so technically I'll have Yes/No, Michael, The Spanish Teacher, Heart, and On My Way to get me through the Glee hiatus :D and it also means I'll get another chance to see that PERFECT BRITTANA KISS again. **

**Anyway, I hope you're all liking the fic so far, and as always, reviews are like gold to me, they make me happier than Lord Tubbington in a cheese factory! :D so don't be afraid to tell me what you thought! ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, first thing's first. Someone very helpfully pointed out to me in a review that in the previous chapter, I accidentally wrote that Quinn has blue eyes. I'M SORRY. I know her eyes are hazel, but I must have been thinking about Brittany while I was writing, for some strange reason. My deepest apologies to you all. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. And now that that's out of the way... HOLY CRAP. This fic now has over 2000 hits! Thank you all so much for reading, especially all of you sexy people who have followed this fic from the start; you guys are just too cool :D and thank you for the reviews, each and every one means so much to me. Anyway, here's Chapter 5! ^^**

* * *

><p>Santana's breath hitched in her throat as she caught sight of those familiar hazel eyes gazing at her, filled with a mixture of joy and fear. She took a tentative step forward, gripping onto Brittany's hand for support. She then glanced over at Rachel, who seemed to have frozen in place, and nodded her head slightly, indicating that she should walk over to the bed with them. Rachel bobbed her head once in response, making her way towards Quinn slowly, looking up at Santana every so often for encouragement.<p>

"Hey." Rachel said softly, smiling slightly, feeling a swell of emotions beginning to engulf her; amongst them, the feeling of relief was most prominent. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, overcome with happiness, and, unable to contain her joy, she crossed the remainder of the room quickly and wrapped her arms around Quinn's frail frame. The blonde's eyes widened, taken aback by the sudden warm gesture, but then she smiled slightly, relaxing into the embrace, placing her arms gently around Rachel's waist.

Santana smirked at this, glancing at Brittany standing next to her, snaking her arm around her girlfriend's hips. She then led the more timid blonde over to the bed, tugging her gently every now and then, until they too were stood at Quinn's side. Quinn then leaned back, freeing herself from Rachel's arms, and smiled up at her two best friends.

"Hey guys. I've missed you two." Quinn said quietly, as Santana sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and Brittany took her hand and began stroking her knuckles tenderly.

"So… How're you feeling?" Brittany asked, almost whispering. Quinn could see the tears beginning to form in the taller blonde's eyes, and smiled reassuringly, meeting her gaze and replying,

"I'm okay, I guess. My legs hurt, and my ribs seem swollen, but that's probably due to the fact that a pretty big truck smashed into me. Apart from that, I'm fine. How've you guys been?"

She kept her voice light, trying to ease the tension in the room, but then her eyes swept over the three girls, taking in their haphazard appearances; dark, puffy bags under their eyes, messy hair, worried lines criss-crossing their foreheads. They looked exhausted. She then turned to Santana, expecting the most outspoken of the three to respond to her question, furrowing her eyebrows anxiously and waiting for an answer to explain the girls' dishevelled guises.

"Well, apart from being worried about you pretty much all the time, I've been pretty pissed to be honest. I mean, all we wanted to do for the past week was come and visit you, but the damn doctors wouldn't let us! It's not like we're strangers, I mean, we're your best friends, and all we wanted was to make sure you were okay and be there for you! We've done nothing but panic this whole time you've been in here, barely being able to sleep or concentrate, and these… these… _idiotas _expect us to just sit around and wait! I mean, that's just bullcrap!" Santana ranted, fuming visibly.

Quinn's mouth curled slightly, and she averted her gaze from the angry Latina, trying to hide the small smirk that graced her delicate face. She loved that the Latina cared so much about her, even if she didn't show it much. She then turned back to face the girls surrounding her bed, searching out the dark brown eyes of a certain small brunette.

Rachel inhaled slightly, noticing the way Quinn sought her out, smiling when their gazes met. The brunette then blushed a little, glancing down and busying herself with the sleeves of her knitted sweater, which was emblazoned with a carousel horse.

Quinn then turned back to Santana and Brittany, who then engaged her in conversation, filling her in on what she'd missed at school, who was dating, who had broken up.

But Rachel didn't hear any of it. She was too mesmerised by Quinn. Now that the blonde was distracted, Rachel could fully appreciate her angelic beauty and grace. The way her blonde hair fell choppily around her face, framing her high, defined cheekbones. The way her lips pursed slightly as she listened to Brittany talk – she was saying something about Lord Tubbington and his ecstasy addiction. The way her eyes filled with affection for her best friends as they sat with her, comforting her and simply being there for her.

Rachel was unaware, however, that she too had attracted some attention. Santana was watching her thoughtfully, her head cocked to one side, the corner of her mouth uplifted in a small smile. Her eyes then widened as an idea began to formulate in her head, and she turned to face Quinn, rearranging her expression into a look of regret.

"Oh my gosh, I completely forgot, I'm supposed to babysit my brother today! I'm so sorry Q, but I have to go. I promise I'll visit you soon though, and I may even bring you some chocolates next time, to ease the bleakness of the stuff this hospital calls 'food'." Santana winked cheekily.

She leaned forward, enveloping Quinn in a warm hug, then continued,

"Well, I'd better be off. You coming B?"

Brittany nodded happily, content that she finally got to make sure her best friend was okay, and turned to Quinn, releasing her hand and also giving her an affectionate hug. Rachel, who was suddenly pulled out of her reverie, stood stock still, momentarily stunned by the unexpected change of events.

"You guys have a good time. Quinn, I'll see you soon. I'll, um, I'll see you in school Berry. See ya."

"Bye Quinnie! Bye Rachie! Love you both!" Brittany called, just before the door swung shut with a loud band behind her and Santana.

The sound of the door slamming echoed around the room, and the two girls were left in silence, until Quinn cleared her throat and looked at Rachel expectantly.

The brunette could feel her palms becoming sweaty, her hands trembling nervously. Quinn noticed this too, and couldn't help the confusing rush of delight that shot through her body. She then patted the space on the bed next to her, motioning for Rachel to sit down. The shorter girl complied, smoothing her skirt then perching precariously on the very edge, not wanting Quinn to experience any more discomfort. The blonde chuckled at this, and pulled on Rachel's arm gently, until she was sitting next to her, her head slightly above Quinn's, which was resting on propped-up pillows.

"So… um… how have you been finding being confined to a hospital bed for the last week?" Rachel asked shyly, mentally kicking herself for not asking a better, less nerdy question. But Quinn simply smiled, titling her head to the right to meet Rachel's questioning gaze, and replying,

"It's been okay. I mean, I hate not being able to see my friends and go out on the weekends and stuff, but at least I'm allowed visitors now. How has everyone on the outside world been? Tina? Mercedes? Puck?"

Quinn trailed off quietly, but before Rachel had a chance to reply, the blonde had sat up suddenly, turned to the side to face Rachel, and locked eyes with the brunette.

"Wait! What happened with the wedding? Did you… Did you marry Finn?"

Quinn attempted to hide the contempt in her voice, but Rachel could hear the slight scorn that accompanied the blonde's normally soothing voice when she spoke Finn's name. Rachel took a deep breath, dropping her eyes to stare at Quinn's right hand, which had been placed on her thigh at some point during their exchange. She then hummed quietly to herself, attempting to calm her now racing heart, then answered with a simple,

"No."

She glanced back at Quinn, assessing her reaction. And was bewildered to find that Quinn was smiling widely at her. She looked… happy. Ecstatic, even. Rachel frowned slightly, confusion clouding her mind. But, although she was utterly baffled by the reaction of the blonde, she didn't fail to miss the feeling of joy that rapidly zipped through her own body with the realisation that hit her like a freezing cold Slushie: Quinn was glad that she hadn't married Finn.

"Can I ask why?" Quinn said after a moment of silence, her expression one of curiosity mingled with relief.

"Well… It involved your accident, actually. Finn was highly insensitive about the whole thing, and I know that you and I haven't exactly been the best of friends over the past three years, but I feel like we've started to bond a lot more this year, so for him to have the audacity to suggest that we just go ahead with the wedding and continue trying to be happy, I mean, I just couldn't do that, not with the knowledge that you were lying here in pain because of me, and-"

"Rachel!"

Quinn grabbed Rachel's left hand with the hand that had previously rested on the brunette's thigh, as a way to silence her. But neither girl anticipated the effect the simple touch would have. Rachel felt her heart soar, her stomach filled with butterflies, while Quinn felt her breath falter for a second, her porcelain cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink.

Quinn then went to move her hand away, afraid of how Rachel would react to her impulsive gesture, but was stopped by Rachel's right hand covering her own, holding hers firmly in place. Both girls then smiled at each other, admiring the beauty they each had before them.

But then, Quinn thought back to what Rachel was just saying, and her brow puckered as the strength of Rachel's words hit her.

"What do you mean, this happened because of you? Rachel, the crash wasn't your fault. Why would you think that?"

Rachel looked at Quinn and saw that she looked appalled. But then, her eyes raked over the many cuts and scrapes that were scattered across the blonde's pretty face, and could feel her shame washing over her, suffocating her.

"Because… Because you were on the way to my wedding. You were coming to support me, knowing full well that I was making a huge mistake, but you were coming anyway, just to be there for me. If I hadn't been so stupid, so desperate to get married and get out of Lima, then this never would've happened. I'm sorry Quinn. I'm so sorry."

Rachel's voice broke and she ducked her head, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes at any second. Quinn titled her head to the side, studying Rachel, her heart swelling with sympathy. Rachel blamed herself for Quinn's accident. The blonde then felt overcome with the need to comfort the brunette, who at this point had tears streaming steadily down her slightly tan cheeks. So she released her hand from Rachel's grasp, and snaked her arm around the sobbing girl, holding her close, resting her head on Rachel's left shoulder.

Rachel's heart skipped a beat.

Quinn's arm was around her. Quinn was… holding her. She momentarily forgot how to breathe as she attempted to process this information. Then, she relaxed into Quinn's embrace, leaning into her, resting her head atop Quinn's.

Rachel opened her mouth to say something, some words to show her gratitude for the blonde girl's comforting gesture, but was cut short when the door swung open suddenly, revealing the silhouette of a broad-shouldered man, whom Rachel assumed was Quinn's doctor.

"Good afternoon, Miss Fabray. How are we doing today?"

"Wow, Doctor Feldstein, that rhymed." Quinn chuckled, before replying, "And I'm okay thanks, just, umm…" she angled her head to the side and winked at Rachel, "catching up with a friend."

"Ah yes, I thought I spotted a new face walking up to your room earlier. Now, Miss, uhh….."

"Berry." Rachel answered helpfully.

"Yes. Miss Berry, I'm going to have to ask you to relocate to that chair next to Quinn's bed, just so I can check on her and see how far along she is in the recovery process."

Rachel nodded and jumped up, removing herself from Quinn's arms; she seemed reluctant to move, which had Quinn coughing to try to cover up the giggle that was threatening to escape from her rosy pink lips.

Rachel got herself settled in the chair on the other side of the bed, while Doctor Feldstein went about doing the routine check he had been conducting regularly every few days. She grimaced slightly as he gently prodded and poked at her legs, checking if the bones had begun healing.

Rachel reached out and took Quinn's trembling hand, making soothing noises, trying her best to calm her down and help the nervous girl relax.

Quinn smiled at Rachel gratefully, sniffling and biting her lip, trying not to whimper when the doctor continued his examination on her bruised ribs. Rachel rubbed the blonde's hand, trying to show Quinn that she wasn't alone, that she had her to help her through this.

The doctor then straightened up, scribbling on his chart, and said,

"Well, things are looking better than they were the other day. It looks like the bruising around your ribs is beginning to go down, although that area might be a bit swollen for a while. Your fingers on your left hand are broken, but healing slowly. And…"

He seemed reluctant to finish his sentence, as his eyes flickered down to Quinn's legs and then back up to her face. He ran his hands through his thick brown hair, and she gazed at him, confusion etched into her delicate features, her eyes beginning to glaze over with new, unshed tears. Rachel, meanwhile, looked distraught, imagining the worst possible scenarios in her head: _What if she never walks again? What if she's paralysed for the rest of her life? _

"Doctor? What's going to happen in regards to Quinn's legs?" Rachel asked, panic evident in her voice.

"Well, she will walk again." He answered, meeting Rachel's tear-filled eyes, then turned back to Quinn. "But, when you are healed enough to go home, I'm afraid you will have to use a wheelchair until your legs are completely healed. Both suffered clean breaks, so they need time for the bones to fuse back together. There's really nothing we can do now, besides… wait."

Quinn couldn't hold it together any longer.

She broke down, sobbing, unable to believe that her life had taken such a drastic turn for the worst.

Rachel leapt out of her chair, encircling Quinn's shaking frame in her arms, stroking her back and rocking her in an attempt to console her.

"So, I, uh, I think I'll leave you girls alone for a while. Quinn, you will fight through this. You're a strong girl, and I know you've overcome difficult obstacles before, so you can overcome this. I'll come and check on you later, and I'll give you some more aspirin to help with the pain."

With that, he left the room silently, closing the door behind him.

Quinn's sobs had begun to settle down by this point; they had become small hiccups that burst out from her fragile body every few minutes. Rachel said nothing, she just sat on the bed holding Quinn quietly, glad to finally get to hold the girl in her arms, albeit the slightly unusual and upsetting circumstances.

"Hey Quinn?" she whispered softly, so quiet that Quinn had to strain her ears to hear what was being said.

"Mhmm?"

"I… I know this is a really difficult time for you right now, and this might not mean anything to you, but I just want you to know, if you ever need me, for anything, even if it's something as simple as bringing you a book to read, I'll do it. I know we've had our ups and downs over the past three years at McKinley, but I now see us as… friends, or maybe even… never mind. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is… I'm here for you, no matter what."

Quinn could feel a lump beginning to form in her throat at Rachel's honest words, and had to fight another round of tears that were threatening to spill from her already puffy eyes.

She then sniffed resolutely, taking in a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down. She raised her head, looking Rachel straight in the eye. The sudden connection made Quinn's heart falter for just one puzzling, albeit magical moment, and Rachel could feel herself becoming lost in Quinn's beautiful hazel orbs.

Gazes locked on each other, Rachel leaned in slightly, and then Quinn did the same, until Rachel could feel Quinn's warm breath ghosting over her cheeks. The blonde unconsciously licked her lips, which had Rachel flushing bright red.

Rachel retracted one of her arms from its position around Quinn, and brought her hand up to stroke the blonde's cheek softly, letting her fingers trail from Quinn's temple to her jaw.

Quinn's eyes fluttered closed momentarily, as she savoured the feel of Rachel's touch on her skin. She then opened her eyes, and noticed that Rachel had managed to move even closer, until all she could see was Rachel's unwavering gaze, appraising her, her eyes bright with excitement.

Rachel's heart was racing faster than it had that time she had auditioned for the role as Maria in West Side Story. She leaned in further, until there was no more than an inch of space between Quinn's lips and her own.

She couldn't believe this was actually about to happen.

_She was finally going to kiss Quinn._

Rachel took one last deep breath, preparing herself for the moment she had been waiting for for over a year now.

Their lips were within kissing distance of each other; Rachel shut her eyes, anticipating the joyous events that were about to unfold.

But just as they were about to end all of the frustration and have that sweet contact, the door was flung open and loud voices invaded the peace that had previously occupied the room.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go in ther-"

"I DON'T CARE! I need to talk to Rachel and she's here, so I'm going in there!"

Finn burst into the room unannounced, breathing heavily, his face flushed with anger.

His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him.

Rachel and Quinn were sitting extremely close to one another. They were leaning into each other, and it looked like they were… _about to kiss._

His face twisted in horror, as Rachel sprung away from Quinn, stumbling, and Quinn sat up straight, trying to look as nonchalant as possible, which wasn't easy considering Finn had just walked in when she was about to engage in a make-out session with his ex-girlfriend.

"Finn! What… what are you doing here?" Rachel exclaimed.

"Never mind that! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" He screamed, his fists clenched tightly.

"It's… it's…I don't know what this is Finn, but to be honest it has nothing to do with you! You are no longer my boyfriend, so nothing I do concerns you anymore!" Rachel stated adamantly.

"What? Are you serious? You're actually breaking up with me over this? Rachel, can't you see how stupid and immature you're being?"

"Okay, hold on!" Quinn yelled. "You cannot talk to her like that! For one, she's not stupid or immature. Also, YOU DON'T OWN HER. So I think you should leave. Now."

Doctor Feldstein then came rushing into the room, a large security guard following behind him, who then proceeded to roughly grab Finn's arm and drag him towards the door.

"Wait! Rachel, don't do this! I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean any of that stuff. I just want things to go back to the way they were with us! Before any of this happened! Please!"

But Rachel just stared at Finn solemnly, shaking her head as she watched him get dragged out of the room. His frantic calls continued until he was too far away to be heard.

Quinn turned to Rachel, her eyes wide and concerned.

"Rachel, are you okay?"

Rachel sniffed, brushing her bangs away from her face with a flick of her head, then met Quinn's worried gaze, her own eyes steely and determined.

"I'm fine. I realised a while ago that Finn isn't the one for me; I was just waiting for the moment when I could end things and move on with my life."

Rachel then smiled at Quinn reassuringly, walking back over to the bed and placing a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Quinn, I'm done with him now. The only thing that matters to me is helping you get better. If you'll let me."

Quinn smiled bashfully, ducking her head and giggling quietly.

"That sounds great Rachel, really. Thank you."

"Okay, awesome. So, I think I should go now. But I'll be back tomorrow, after school. And when you start using the wheelchair, I'll be there to help you every step of the way."

Quinn nodded gratefully, as Rachel picked up her coat and made her way around the bed towards the door. Quinn suddenly grabbed Rachel's arm and pulled her in for a hug; both girls melted into the embrace, savouring the comfort of feeling safe and wanted.

Rachel then stood up straight, smoothing her skirt, and made her way towards the door. Just as she was about to walk out of the room, she spun around to face Quinn, gave her a small wave, and said,

"I'll be back soon, I promise. Take care of yourself. Bye Quinn."

And with that, she left the hospital, all the while smiling and humming to herself happily.

Things were looking up. Finally.


	6. Chapter 6

**I hope you guys are enjoying this fic so far. Thanks again for the reviews, I appreciate every last one of them :D also, thank you to those of you who read my other fics and review them too, it really means a lot ^^**

* * *

><p><em><strong>A month and a half later, at Quinn's house…<strong>_

"Okay, you ready to try again?"

"No!"

"Quinn, come on. You knew this wasn't going to be easy. We just have to take it slow and be patient."

"But I'm so sick of this! It's been over six weeks now, and I still can't walk too far without those damn crutches!"

"I know this is frustrating, but you have to understand that these things take time! I mean, both of your legs sustained major damage; stuff like that can't be fixed overnight. You should at least be happy that you can walk now, even if it is only for short periods of time!"

"I know, I know. It's just… urgh, I just hate feeling so helpless all the time!"

Quinn exhaled heavily, crossing her arms over her chest grumpily, her forehead creased with worry and irritation. Rachel smiled sympathetically, taking Quinn's hand and bringing it to her lips, giving it the softest kiss. Quinn blushed slightly, but lay back and pulled Rachel towards her where she lay on her bed, getting the brunette to perch next to her.

* * *

><p><em>Incidents like this had been happening more and more frequently over the last few weeks. Ever since Finn's outburst, a connection had formed between the two girls that seemed to border between close friendship and something more.<em>

_It had started with that first day, the day when the brunette had visited with Santana and Brittany. After Rachel had left the hospital in the evening, feeling happier than she had in a long time, she had driven home, planning on getting some work done then going to bed. But as she was walking into her room, she heard the unmistakable first notes of 'Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead' begin playing, so delved into her pocket to retrieve the source of the noise; her phone. She glanced at the screen briefly, then her eyes widened when she actually noticed the name on the screen: _**Quinn.**

_She hurriedly flipped open the phone, fingers trembling, then pressed the little button that would reveal her first ever text message from the blonde._

**-Hey Rachel. It's Quinn. I don't know if you have my number already but I got yours from Santana a while ago. I hope that's okay? Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for visiting me today. And… I hope you can visit me again sometime. Take care. x**

_Rachel could feel her heart pounding erratically against her ribcage. She stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just occurred. She then rushed to press Reply, and began quickly typing out a message, worried that Quinn would think she was ignoring her._

**-Hello Quinn. Oh, that's fine, honestly, but I have a confession of my own; I actually asked Brittany for your number last year, but had never really worked up the confidence to text you, until now. There's no need to thank me… it's what any friend would have done. However, I must thank you for the way you defended me against Finn's tirade; I must admit, I was rather terrified that he was going to do something drastic. Nevertheless, I shall be visiting you very soon, tomorrow if I am permitted to. Sweet dreams Quinn. x**

_Rachel did in fact visit Quinn the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. In fact, she visited so regularly that by the end of the first few weeks, she was on a first-name basis with the nursing staff and Lisa. And so, a bond began to form between herself and Quinn. _

_It started off with fleeting glances, tender fingers brushing through strands of hair, nervous stammering, school-girl giggles. _

_Then, when the blonde's legs finally began to heal, Rachel began to help Quinn, firstly encouraging her to make full use of her wheelchair. Quinn had had trouble with this at first, hating being confined to the portable chair. She felt humiliated, rolling through the halls of McKinley, everyone staring at her and whispering. _

_However, she found things were a lot easier with Rachel by her side. The brunette took to escorting Quinn from class to class, engaging her in conversation to distract her from the looks directed at her by her peers. Quinn then began to really enjoy Rachel's company, finding that the brunette had an infallible ability to make her laugh, even when she was in the worst of moods. Having Santana and Brittany around helped too; the Latina used her dominant personality to keep her peers and their harsh words of judgement away from the fragile, wheelchair-bound Quinn, while Brittany did her best to ensure that people made a path for Quinn when she was coming down the hallways._

_A few weeks later, the doctor informed Quinn that her legs had now healed enough to allow her to use crutches instead of the wheelchair. At first she was ecstatic, but then, after a few futile attempts to actually use the crutches, she realised that it wasn't going to be as simple as she'd thought. Even with Rachel's help, Quinn found it difficult to support herself for long, even with the rapid progress her legs had made, thanks to the healing expertise of Doctor Feldstein. The few weeks turned into a month, and although Quinn's legs were getting a lot better, she still couldn't manage long journeys without the aid of her crutches, which greatly frustrated her._

_But Rachel persevered, never giving up on Quinn, always encouraging her to try again when she failed. _

_And then, things began to gravitate more towards that moment that had been interrupted by Finn._

_Things progressed slowly but surely; flushing cheeks, broken breaths, yearning sighs, passionate embraces._

_Rachel wanted things to move faster. But she didn't want to pressure Quinn and scare her away, so she tried her hardest to resist the temptation and take it slow._

_She was simply grateful that things had started moving at all._

* * *

><p>Rachel remained seated towards the edge of Quinn's bed, still not entirely comfortable with sitting too close to Quinn's legs. Even though she no longer had them encased in the hard plaster casts, and she was practically walking again, Rachel still held the fear of hurting her in any way. Quinn found this quite amusing, as she had not really pictured Rachel as the 'caring type' before she got to know her. But now, she did know her. Six weeks alone can really give you time to get to know a person. And that's exactly what they did.<p>

In those six weeks, Rachel connected with Quinn in a way she didn't think was even possible. They talked, laughed, cried; they discovered new things about each other every day. It could only be described as a whirlwind friendship.

Quinn thought back on those first few days alone with the brunette. Sure, it had been slightly awkward, but it was also surprisingly nice. Rachel was much less high-maintenance when she was simply being herself, not trying to impress or outdo anyone. She was attentive, caring, gentle, and she made Quinn feel relaxed and at-ease.

Quinn then felt a slight pressure on her hand, and snapped out of her daydream to see Rachel peering at her curiously, biting her lip in that way that was oh-so-adorable.

"What are you thinking about?" asked the brunette quietly.

"Honestly? I was thinking about the last few weeks, and how… close we've become."

Quinn smirked a little at this, thinking about the fact that 'close' may not be the most accurate way to describe the new relationship between Rachel and herself.

Rachel smiled too, her mouth stretching into a large grin, and she giggled happily.

God, Quinn loved it when she giggled.

The brunette then stretched out beside Quinn, which made the blonde's heart flutter unexpectedly.

They lay in silence for a while, hands locked in a tight embrace between their warm bodies, simply gazing into each other's eyes.

"You're beautiful." Rachel breathed, then her eyes widened with panic as she realised what she had just let slip.

But Quinn merely blushed delicately, pulling Rachel in closer until their noses were almost touching, and whispered,

"And you're the most amazing person I've ever met."

Rachel stared at Quinn, stunned by the spontaneous action and compliment.

She then acted on her impulses, not giving her next actions a second thought.

She leaned in, cupping Quinn's cheek gently.

She then pressed her lips against the blonde's, eliciting a small whimper of surprise from Quinn. But then, Quinn succumbed to Rachel's tender touch, melting into the kiss.

Rachel sighed contentedly; it was everything she had imagined and more.

Quinn's lips were soft and wary, exploring Rachel's plump ones gently.

She then broke the kiss, breathing heavily, not knowing how to respond to the sudden yet pleasurable kiss she had just experienced.

"Well…"

Quinn let out a small giggle, and Rachel let out a deep breath, relieved that the blonde didn't seem angry with her.

"…that was nice." continued Quinn, looking bashful.

Rachel then decided that now was her chance to tell Quinn how she truly felt.

"Quinn… look, I have to tell you something. It's been on my mind for, well, a really long time now, I just haven't found the, um, right time to say something. Well, I think now may be the right time…"

Quinn took Rachel's hand and kissed her softly once again, trying to reassure the obviously nervous girl.

Rachel gulped audibly, then steeled herself and looked Quinn straight in the eye as she began talking.

"I've had feelings for you ever since I can remember. I know this may seem crazy, but the first time I saw you strutting down the halls of McKinley, on your way to sign up for the Cheerio's, I just… knew. But I tried to keep it hidden, I knew... I mean, I _thought_ you hated me. And any chance of me talking to you was banished the moment that first Slushie hit me; it made me an outcast, so I knew you wouldn't associate with students like me, so low on the social ladder. And then, to make matters worse, I decided to date Finn. I still don't honestly know why I did that… maybe to make myself seem cool, maybe to try to make you jealous. I don't know. What I do know is that I never… I never had feelings for Finn like I do for you."

Rachel said all of this in one breath, while Quinn just stared, struck dumb with shock.

The brunette could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes at the lack of response, and so she sat up, an edge of desperation in her voice as she spoke.

"Quinn? Please say something."

The blonde also sat up, shock still evident on her striking features. She ran a hand through her short hair, gazing around her room, trying to find the right words to respond to Rachel's unexpectedly honest confession.

She then turned to face Rachel, wincing slightly at the ever-present dull pain that still shot across her ribs from time to time.

"Rachel, look…"

Rachel noticed the exertion of effort and its effect on Quinn, so she gently reached out and pushed Quinn back until she was lying down again.

"Rachel! I'm trying to say something to you!"

"Quinn, I'm sorry, but I am not having you inflict any more damage on yourself, especially now when you're almost healed. You can talk to me from a safer position."

Quinn snorted at this, halfway between amused and frustrated.

"Anyway, what I was saying before I was interrupted by Nurse Berry-" Quinn gently nudged Rachel, rolling her eyes but smiling all the same, "was… umm… well, I don't really know what I was going to say to be honest."

Rachel stroked her hand along Quinn's arm soothingly, seeing how difficult this was for the conflicted blonde, and said,

"How about starting with how you feel? You know… about me?"

Quinn could hear the note of hopefulness in Rachel's voice, and this caused her heart to shatter slightly.

She hated knowing that Rachel had been desiring her all this time, and she was too blind to even notice.

Rachel took a deep breath, readying herself for rejection. However, she did not anticipate the next words that tumbled out of Quinn's mouth.

"I… I feel the same way. Honestly, I've felt this way for a while. It killed me when I found out you were going to marry Finn. Remember prom? When we were alone in the bathroom? I… I was going to tell you how I felt. But I was scared. Scared you would reject me. So I didn't tell you. And then I had to watch as you and Finn paraded around, so in 'love', with that... ring on your finger."

Rachel didn't miss the way Quinn's voice cracked on the word 'ring', the way her jaw clenched in fury and hurt.

She then embraced Quinn warmly in her arms, trying to convey how she felt by holding her as tightly as possible; kissing her neck so softly, it was as if the wind was whispering a secret across her skin.

"But it's okay now. It's okay because I'm not with Finn anymore. And… there's someone else I've got my eye on." Rachel said, pulling back from Quinn's arms and offering the girl a wry grin.

Quinn couldn't help but to smile back in response, as Rachel reached up to wipe away a tear that had escaped and was making its way down the palest of cheeks.

Rachel then lay back down, pulling Quinn down to lie against her. She cradled the blonde girl against her, relishing the sensation of feeling Quinn's heartbeat against her hand, which rested on the blonde's chest.

"Hey Quinn?"

"Yes?"

"I have something else to ask you."

"What?"

Rachel paused for a brief second, tipping Quinn's head up to meet her questioning gaze, then said,

"Will you… will you be my girlfriend?"

Quinn's face then broke into a huge grin, and she launched herself up, latching her arms around Rachel's neck and planting a kiss on the brunette's unsuspecting lips.

"Is that a yes?" Rachel asked, beaming.

"Yes!" Quinn exclaimed, proceeding to wrap her arms securely around Rachel's waist as she nestled her face into her collarbone.

Rachel giggled, overcome with happiness, as she played with Quinn's golden tresses that were splayed across her chest.

Both girls sighed with happiness, content to just lie there in each other's arms, until Rachel sat up suddenly, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"I just thought of something…"

"What?" Quinn said, her face scrunched in bewilderment.

"…Imagine Santana's face when she finds out about us!"

Quinn's hazel eyes widened at this, and then both girls collapsed back onto the bed in hysterics, Quinn's arms still wrapped firmly around Rachel.

Neither could remember feeling as happy as they did in that moment.


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I finally let them kiss! I thought it was long overdue ever since Finn's annoying interruption, so I made it extra fluffy and cute! ^^ I hope it satisfied all of you Faberry fans who were waiting for that moment – I just wish it would happen for reals! Damn you Ryan Murphy! xD I'm kidding, I like him now; well, actually I love him for writing in that epic Brittana kiss ;D WHICH I WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH AGAIN TOMORROW WHEN THE EPISODE AIRS ON TV. ^^**

**Also, thanks again for the reviews, favourites and alerts :D they make me incredibly happy.**

**Anyway, this author note is becoming a tad long, so I shall stop before I just start fan-girling all over the place xD**

**Warning: This chapter contains some angst. I thought I should include some, since things have been pretty upbeat for a while, although it won't last long, because I love fluff a lot more than angst.**

* * *

><p>Quinn hurried to get ready, busying herself with making sure that her hair fell perfectly, framing her face delicately, while at the same time brushing her teeth and trying to remember where she had last seen her Maths book.<p>

She rooted through the piles of clothing that littered her bedroom floor, resembling scattered debris left over from a particularly devastating tornado. She smiled to herself then, as she remembered Brittany's campaign speech for Class President, which included a rather adorable plea that she would do anything to put a stop to the vicious tornadoes that ravage America every year, and that in a bid to win she would 'ban' tornadoes at McKinley.

The blonde then heard the telltale sound of her phone vibrating atop her dresser, and rushed to answer it, already knowing who it would be.

"Hi." she answered breathlessly, not even bothering to check the Caller ID.

"Hey you." replied Rachel, her voice sweet and gentle; it was as if each letter spoken was a lavish tendril, snaking its way into Quinn's ear and wrapping itself tenderly around her heart.

"So, I'm just checking that you're almost ready, because I just finished my vegan breakfast that my dad made me, so I'll be over to pick you up in a minute."

"Yeah, I'm just trying to find my hair while I fix my Maths book!"

Rachel giggled sweetly at this. She found it adorable on those rare occasions when Quinn got all flustered and confused about things; they referred to times like these as 'Brittany moments', although they didn't make a habit of saying it in front of Santana, even if they did mean it in a friendly way.

"Okay babe, I'll see you soon!"

Every since they had begun dating a few weeks ago, Rachel had made it her mission to pick Quinn up every day and drive her to school. She knew this was a much favourable option for the blonde, as opposed to Quinn's dad taking her, as she was still reliant on one of her crutches when walking for long periods of time, and so was unable to drive until her legs had completely healed and she could walk unaided.

Quinn then began giggling to herself, as she started musing over the day when they had come out as a couple to the rest of the Glee club, less than ten days ago…

* * *

><p><em>Both girls had to take several deep breaths to steady their rapidly escalating heartbeats. Rachel glanced at Quinn, taking the blonde's hand and trying to stop it from trembling. <em>

"_Are you sure you want to do this?" asked the brunette softly._

_Quinn merely nodded, narrowing her eyes determinedly, then reached out to pull open the door._

_At the sight of Quinn and Rachel holding hands, with Rachel helping Quinn to hobble to the centre of the room with the aid of her crutch, to say the New Directions were shocked would be an understatement. _

_They all exchanged looks portraying a wide range of emotions; some, like Puck and Mercedes, looked slightly confused, while others, like Santana and Brittany, smirked at each other, already having grasped a pretty clear idea of what had happened between the diva and the head bitch at McKinley. _

"_Quinn, Rachel. Thank you for joining us. Now, as I was saying-"_

"_Uh, Mr Shue? Before you continue, Quinn and I have an announcement to make, and as we consider you to be our closest friends, we would like you to be the first ones to know."_

_He sensed the urgency in Rachel's tone, so he replied with a quick "Sure" and then took a seat on the piano stool, surveying the girls curiously. _

_Quinn had begun to nibble her lower lip nervously, so Rachel decided that she herself should begin the task of breaking the news to their fellow Glee clubbers._

"_Well, everyone. As you know, Quinn and I have been spending a lot of time with each other lately" – at this, they exchanged a sly glance, which had Quinn battling herself to not break into a huge grin – "And in that time, we have, in fact, formed quite a strong… bond, if you will. Now, what I appreciate about being in Glee is that we are all so open-minded and accepting of each other, so I hope that you can all be supportive when I tell you our news. Obviously, this may come as a shock to some of you-"_

"_Oh, come on Berry! Just spit it out already!" sighed Santana, her voice edged with exasperation. _

_Rachel glanced at her in surprise, then turned to Quinn, squeezing her hand gently, before whispering,_

"_You tell 'em babe. You can do this."_

_Quinn smiled a little at this, then looked up, meeting the quizzical gazes of her friends, then said in a loud, clear voice,_

"_Rachel and I are dating."_

_The reactions that followed were rather unprecedented. _

"_Oh my god, how did this happen?" exclaimed Mercedes, her expression a look of utter joy mingled with a hint of disbelief._

"_You go girl!" chanted Kurt, beaming at Blaine, who was applauding happily next to him._

"_Wait, now there are two lesbian couples in here? Damn, soon there aren't gonna be any hot available girls left at this school!" grumbled Puck, earning him a playful punch on the arm from Brittany._

"_Gracias a dios! Finally, I thought you two were NEVER going to make this thing official." stated Santana, much to Rachel's amusement. Quinn's eyes widened at this, and she stared at the Latina in surprise, wondering she could have known before anyone else. _

_But her attention was soon stolen by the one person who had yet to react. _

_Finn._

_He sat huddled at the back of the choir room, just staring at the floor, motionless and speechless. _

_Mr Shue noticed this too, amidst all the cheering and hugging, and approached Finn warily, speaking in a soft voice, _

"_Finn? You okay?"_

_The tall boy glanced up jerkily, startled by the sudden conversation he had become involved in. _

"_Uhh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… a bit of a shock, that's all."_

_Rachel then glanced up at Finn, her expression reproachful, expecting him to verbally lash out at her again or simply storm out of the room. But he did neither of these things. Instead, he took a deep breath, looked straight into the brunette's eyes, and said, _

"_I'm happy for you two. And I hope things work out well for you."_

_He then offered the couple a small smile, which they returned gratefully. Rachel knew things would never be the same between herself and Finn, but she would like to think that one day, they could be friends again. _

* * *

><p>Quinn continued to smile to herself, overcome with happiness at the rapid change her life had made, and how unbelievably happy she now was, compared to the utter hopelessness she felt only a few months prior.<p>

She then heard the sharp 'ding!' of her doorbell, pressed three consecutive times; that was the signal Rachel had created so Quinn would always know when it was her at the door.

The blonde tried and failed to control the insane grin that had stretched widely across her face, as she raced (hobbled being the more appropriate word) down the stairs as quickly as she could and wrenched open the front door.

She was greeted by the sight of Rachel in her favourite white jumper, which was adorned with a grey bunny, accompanied by a pink plaid skirt with patterned tights and a pink bow in her hair. Quinn thought it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen, as she grabbed Rachel's hands and pulled her girlfriend to her, engaging her in a gentle, loving kiss. Her lips caressed the brunette's, and she then drew back and wrapped her arms around her, savouring the feeling of just being able to hold Rachel in her arms.

Rachel softened in Quinn's arms, sighing contentedly as she felt the blonde's lips plant light, tender kisses along her jaw and down her neck, until she raised her head and once again captured Rachel's lips in her own. Rachel then leaned back slightly, her eyes drinking in the beautiful sight in front of her. Quinn's hair was straight, the ends curled to flick up and frame her defined cheekbones; the lightness of it was a stark contrast to her passionate hazel eyes, which shone and captured Rachel like a helpless fly being drawn to a light. She was wearing a fitted white dress, which was cinched at the waist and had wispy sleeves that ended around her elbows, and the outfit was completed by a pair of white wedges with a small heel. Rachel was left breathless; Quinn was stunning.

Quinn then kissed Rachel softly on the nose, and trailed her hands down Rachel's back, until she was gripping her hips and gently rubbing her hip bones. The brunette mewed accidentally due to this new, arousing sensation, causing Quinn to giggle at her endearing girlfriend. Rachel then shook her head to clear her thoughts, trying to remember what she was there for.

"You ready to go babe?" breathed Rachel, gasping slightly.

"Yep, just gotta grab my coat and keys."

She then found said items and, with Rachel's help, made her way to the brunette's car, which had been a present from her dads for her latest birthday, and clambered into the passenger seat clumsily, all the while attempting to remain cool and poised, which elicited a small giggle from Rachel.

"What's so funny?" gasped Quinn, the effort of scrambling into the vehicle now taking its toll on her.

"Nothing. You're just so cute, and funny, and adorable."

Rachel then went all doe-eyed, gazing at Quinn, her features adorned with adoration for her new girlfriend. Quinn could feel herself blushing at the unexpected praise, but was extremely giddy with joy at the same time. She leaned over the centre console and brushed her lips across Rachel's, planting another light kiss on her nose, before sitting straight with a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Rachel turned the key in the ignition, preparing to swing away from the curb and drive the short distance to McKinley. But, just before her foot pushed down on the pedal, she let out a sudden cry, which startled Quinn and had her heart thumping manically.

"What! Rachel, what is it?"

"I almost forgot to put on some music to make our journey more enjoyable!"

"Rachel, the drive to school is like, ten minutes long. There isn't any point putting mu-"

"Quinn! I cannot drive without the accompaniment of my music. You know that. Now, let's see…"

Quinn rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh of exasperation. Rachel began to rifle through her CD collection, which was stashed in the side pocket on her car door, and let out a satisfied "Aha!" when she found one she was happy with. She inserted the CD into the narrow slot, turned the volume up to full, and pressed play.

_My heart's a stereo,_

_It beats for you so listen close._

_Hear my thoughts in every note, oh oh._

_Make me your radio, _

_Turn me up when you feel low,_

_This melody was meant for you,_

_So sing along to my stereo._

Quinn smiled bashfully at Rachel; the brunette knew this had become one of the blonde's favourite songs ever since she had sung it to her on Valentine's Day (even though the singing telegram was technically from Finn), and so made an effort to pay attention to all the little things she liked to make her girlfriend happy.

Both girls then grinned, opening the windows and singing as loud as they could as they made their way to school, feeling the breeze whistle through their hair and their cares soar away with it.

* * *

><p>Quinn, Rachel, Santana and Brittany all had lessons together that day. English was the only class they all had at the same time, so they made the most of the rare time they could all spend together. They sat in the back row of the classroom, with Brittany and Quinn in the middle; Santana and Rachel sat on either end, next to their respective girlfriends. People knew never to sit it those specific seats, or they would risk facing the wrath of Snix, the name Santana had given to her less-than-friendly alter ego.<p>

Today they were studying Shakespeare, and although most of the lesson was spent trying to explain to Brittany that '_ergo_' didn't mean '_er-leave'_, Santana and Quinn still managed to appreciate that the English writer did have quite a knack for romance.

Quinn then had an idea, a wry smile adorning her face. She turned to Rachel, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered,

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I never saw true beauty till this night."

Rachel blushed incessantly, whispering an awed 'wow' to a rather smug Quinn. She then looked at the page she had marked earlier, for she too had found a quote she rather liked. So, she took Quinn's hand, locked her gaze on those hazel windows which opened to reveal the most beautiful of souls, and murmured,

"See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!"

It was then Quinn's turn to blush, as she smiled at Rachel bashfully and giggled softly.

Brittany, on Quinn's left, had overheard this sweet exchange, and so decided that she wanted to do the same for Santana, to express her own love for her exquisite girlfriend. She flicked through the book that lay in front of her and found a quote she liked. The blonde then turned to face Santana, taking her hand and looking at her proudly. The Latina furrowed her eyebrows slightly in confusion, and then grinned at Brittany, love-struck and happy.

Brittany cleared her throat loudly, then, with all of the energy she could muster, she declared,

"A plague on both your houses!"

Santana looked baffled, staring at Brittany, while Quinn and Rachel had collapsed into fits of hysteric giggles behind the blonde, who was rather confused due to Santana's reaction to her act of love.

Santana then began laughing along with the girls, wrapping Brittany up in her tan arms, which caused the blonde's expression to go from perplexed and anxious to content and thrilled.

"Well, all this laughter has affected my bladder apparently, because I now need to go to the little cheerleader's room." said Quinn, amusement evident in her light tone of voice.

"Oh, want me to help you walk there?" volunteered Rachel.

"No thanks bab- Rachel, I'll be fine."

Rachel smirked, as she knew Quinn wasn't ready to publicly announce their relationship to the whole school just yet, but she had been making verbal slip-ups like this rather frequently.

"Anyway, I'll be back in a minute."

The blonde grabbed her crutch from where it rested against her chair and stood, making her way over to the door, but not before glancing back and giving Rachel one last smile.

* * *

><p>Quinn left the bathroom, humming quietly to herself. She had her eyes trained on the floor, so she wasn't aware of the presence of someone else until they were blocking her path, and by then it was too late to turn around or act like she hadn't seen them. It was one of the stupid jocks from the hockey team. She racked her brains trying to remember his name: Rick. This was the guy who had given Rory trouble when he had first joined McKinley, and the one who had run against Brittany and Kurt for Class President.<p>

He stood with his arms crossed over his chest; his feet were planted firmly on the floor, shoulder-length apart. His mouth was twisted in a sneer, and his eyes looked threatening and dangerous. But Quinn refused to be intimidated by some idiot with a hairstyle from the 1980's. She stood straight, using her crutch for support. She looked him square in the eye, and said,

"What do you want, Rick?"

"Oh, nothing much really. I just wanted to see how you were doin', now that you're way down on the social ladder with the Glee losers and the cripples."

Quinn rolled her eyes, not wanting to waste any more time talking to someone who was just going to insult her.

"Whatever. I haven't got time for this. I need to get back to class."

"Oh yeah. Back to that loser Rachel Berry. I've noticed you two have started hanging out a lot lately, with the two lesbo cheerleaders. That feisty one's like your bodyguard, isn't she? Too bad she isn't here to defend you now. Or maybe the dwarf can do it this time."

"Shut up Rick." Quinn growled, trying to control her fiery temper, which was rising rapidly.

"Now now blondie, be careful. You don't wanna over-work yourself and do yourself any more damage. Although, I suppose hanging out with that dumb blonde is enough to make anyone careful, I mean, she's just a walking disaster. Wow, what a bunch of retards! One's a dork, one's got anger management issues, her girlfriend's a dumbass, and you're a cripple!"

He cracked up at his last comment, his laughter echoing around the empty corridors like the bellow of a vicious bull.

Quinn could see red descending over her eyes, clouding her usually calm judgment. She acted without thinking, swinging her crutch up. It connected with Rick's jaw with a sickening crack, and he was knocked backwards by the force of the blow, stumbling into the lockers behind him. For a second, he simply stared at Quinn in shock; then, he turned and made his way down the corridor, mumbling something to himself about girls and how they were insane. Quinn kept her eyes trained on him until he turned the corner and she could no longer see him, and only when he was gone did she allow herself to give in to the hot tears that had been threatening to spill over and consume her.

Rachel had begun to wonder what was taking Quinn so long, and so had snuck out of the lesson when their teacher's back was turned to search for the blonde.

She was flabbergasted when she found her, huddled in a ball, scrunched up by the lockers along the corridor next to the girl's bathroom.

"Quinn? Quinn, what's wrong?"

Quinn jerked and stood up quickly, startled by the sudden intrusion. She hastily wiped away her tears, not comfortable with people seeing her cry so openly.

"Quinn? Baby, please talk to me!"

Panic was evident in Rachel's voice, but Quinn could not bring herself to tell the brunette the truth.

She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because some of what Rick had said was true. Maybe she had become less popular ever since she had become friends with Rachel, and maybe she did resent that slightly. Or maybe it was just because she was embarrassed that she let someone get to her so easily.

Either way, she didn't want to tell Rachel. So, she simply shook her head, sniffed resolutely, and replied,

"I'm fine."

"No Quinn, you're not! I mean, I come out here and I find you on the floor, crying more than I've seen you cry in a long time, and you tell me you're fine? Come on, I'm your girlfriend, you can tell me the truth!"

Quinn then began to feel slightly irritated with the whole situation. She knew it was because of what Rick had said to her, she knew it wasn't Rachel's fault, and she knew she shouldn't take it out on the obviously concerned brunette. But she did anyway.

"Look, Rachel! Is it too much to ask that you stay out of this! God, what is this need you have to constantly be involved in everybody's business? When someone says they're fine, why can't you just leave it at that and move on? You're like a damn pit-bull, constantly chewing my arm off, never letting go for even five minutes! I know we're together and everything, but damn it, I need my space too!"

Quinn then stopped, guilt washing over her in the most unpleasant way.

Rachel look appalled. She never expected Quinn to behave this way towards her, even in her most angry moments. She felt stung, as if someone had removed her heart and was piercing it over and over again with the sharpest of needles.

She blinked, trying to hold back the flood of tears that had formed behind her eyes.

"Okay Quinn. Well, I'm sorry I made you feel that way, and, and I guess I'll leave you alone now. There. You can have your space."

Rachel's voice was devoid of any anger or malice; it merely sounded bleak and defeated, as if Quinn had stolen all of the air from her lungs and all of the love from her heart.

The brunette then turned and walked back to class, leaving Quinn to drown in a mixture of anger, guilt, and self-hatred.


	8. Chapter 8

**First things first: thank you all SO MUCH for reading and reviewing! This story now has the most hits I've EVER had on any of my fics; that is just incredible! :D **

**Also, many thanks to ****w1cked****, ****Callie1121****, and ****Ad3n**** for your reviews, I love seeing the reactions from all of you when there's some drama ^^ **

**Now, I know sad times aren't very nice, especially in the fluffy land of Faberry, so I hope this chapter starts to make up for the lack of it in the previous chapter; if not, the chapter after this will be MEGA fluffy, so not to worry my fellow shippers :D**

* * *

><p>Quinn awoke the next day to an insistent banging on her front door. She sat up, looking around groggily, trying to gain an idea of where she was. As her eyes adjusted to the piercing sunlight streaming through the windows, she realised that she was in her living room. Then, the events of the previous day came flooding back to her.<p>

Rick. Smack. Rachel. Shouting. Tears.

She then remembered that she had left school after that, knowing that her parents were away for the weekend so she would have the house to herself, where she could wallow freely in the feelings of self-pity and remorse in private. She had flung herself onto the sofa, letting out a 'huff' of frustration, trying to stop the unrelenting stream of tears that were cascading down her cheeks, before falling asleep to the soothing sounds of her mother's wind chimes.

She tried to stand up, moving a little too abruptly, which resulted in her crashing into the coffee table, which had previously escaped her line of vision. She cursed angrily under her breath, and then tried to smooth down her wild hair, which had transformed into some kind of beast over night.

She tottered over to the front door, peering through the peep hole to establish who her surprise visitor was. She was met with the impatient gaze of a certain brown-eyed Latina, who was jiggling her leg with irritation as she waited for Quinn to open the door.

Quinn took a deep breath, steeling herself for confrontation. Santana had her bitch face on, which could only mean one thing; she was in trouble.

"Hey Santana. What are yo-"

"Why didn't you tell me that asshole was giving you trouble? Huh? I'm supposed to be looking out for you, but then the one time I'm not there and shit happens, you don't even tell me about it? Come on, Q! I'm one of your best friends; I don't want crap to happen to you because people think they can get away with it!"

"I know, I just, I wasn't thinking, and Rachel, I mean-"

"Yeah, that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. Why did you go all scary Quinn on her? I mean, sure, I've had a bit of a dislike for the midget in the past – I mean, she wouldn't stop wearing those hideous sweaters, and you know they provoke me, like those bow ties Blaine's always sporting – but lately I was starting to see her as more of a member of our group, y'know? Especially since Britt seems to like her so much too. And you know as well as I do that you weren't really angry at her anyway, she was just there at the wrong time. But she doesn't know that. B's over at her place right now trying to get her to calm down so you guys can talk, she's been crying for hours."

Quinn stared at Santana, her features frozen in shock and disbelief. She couldn't believe that Santana was actually here, defending Rachel, the girl she had asked numerous times to move back to Israel.

"Well, I, uh… wow."

"Mhmm. So what I suggest is that you get your sweet ass in gear, put on some clothes that don't look like they've been sat on by Lauren Zizes, sort out that mop on your head, and then I'll drive you to Berry's house so you can talk to her and explain yourself."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, over at Rachel's house…<em>

Brittany pressed the doorbell with vigour, and was adjusting her ponytail when the door swung open to reveal a rather dishevelled-looking Rachel Berry. The blonde grimaced at the obvious state the diva was in, and didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around her gently and just hold her for a while.

Rachel then pulled back, sniffed, and began to cry for what Brittany assumed wasn't the first time that day, heaving sobs that wracked her small body like a violent earthquake.

"Oh Brittany. I just, I don't understand. I just wanted to know what was wrong, and she… she just… oh!"

Brittany closed the front door behind her carefully, then led Rachel over to the plush sofa in the living room, making soothing noises and trying to get the brunette to calm down.

"How… how do you know what happened anyway?" Rachel questioned curiously.

"Well, we noticed that you looked upset when you came back to class after you went to find Q, and then she wasn't with you, so we – well, Santana mainly – assumed something had happened between you two. Then, I went around asking people if they knew what had happened, and I found out that Quinn was being teased by that Rick the Stick guy. Then, one of the girls on the cheerleading squad was talking about something she had overheard as she was coming out of the girl's bathroom, and she said it sounded like Quinn and someone else, and that Quinn was shouting at the other girl and telling her to leave her alone. So, Santana realised that the other girl must have been you, so she sent me here to check if you were okay, and she's over at Q's house right now giving her a stern talk about being nicer to your girlfriends."

Brittany then sat back, looking pleased with herself for remembering all of that and not getting anything wrong or mixed up.

Rachel simply stared at Brittany, unsure of how to respond to this rather unexpected and informative chunk of new information.

"So Rach, here's what's going to happen now. Knowing Santana, she's going to use her awesome combination of intimidation and persuasion to convince Quinn to talk to you. Then, Santana will bring Quinn here, I'll leave and go back to San's with her, Quinn will stay here with you, then all you have to do is see her so she can explain what happened and then everything with be okay!"

Brittany grinned widely at this, and Rachel couldn't help but to smile slightly at the blonde's enthusiasm. She had such a positive outlook on life; she always found the silver lining to every cloud. Rachel just wished that she could find a silver lining for what had happened with Quinn, because right now everything just seemed bleak and hopeless.

A loud quacking then began to emanate around the room, startling Rachel and causing Brittany to squeal excitedly.

"That'll be San!" she exclaimed, deftly delving into her bra to retrieve her phone, eliciting a small giggle from the brunette sitting opposite her.

**-Hey B. I spoke to Q. She's agreed to talk to Berry. Be there in 10. –S x**

Brittany turned to Rachel to show her the text, but before she could the quacking began again.

**-Oh, and one more thing... I love you Britt Britt. :) x**

The blonde felt her heart swoop as she read the second message, and had to control her face to stop herself from grinning like a crazy person.

"Okay, so Santana's on her way over here now with Quinn."

Rachel's eyes widened as her heart began to race, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. Brittany took her hand and began to speak in a calm, relaxing voice.

"Rachel. Look at me. Everything is going to be fine. I know Quinn, she was probably just mad about whatever happened with that dumb hockey player and took it out on you. She won't shout at you again or anything, she probably just wants to apologise and make up with you."

The brunette nodded slightly, signalling her understanding. Brittany smiled, and enveloped the trembling girl in a warm hug.

The girls then sat there for a while, watching a random cartoon about ducks, which Brittany found highly amusing, much to Rachel's delight.

But their fun was soon interrupted by the ominous clang of Rachel's doorbell.

The brunette shot up from her relaxed position on the sofa, her eyes flitting about anxiously.

"It's okay Rach. You'll be fine. I'll get the door." said Brittany reassuringly.

Rachel sat back down nervously as Brittany pranced over to the front door effortlessly, her dancer's legs carrying her gracefully across the room.

She opened the door eagerly, letting out a whimper of excitement as her eyes met the dark brown ones that were pinned on her.

"San!" she shrieked, jumping on the Latina and almost knocking her over.

"Whoa Britt, steady!" Santana laughed, pulling her girlfriend up so they were standing straight. "Save that for when we get back to mine." she whispered huskily, with a sneaky wink for Brittany's eyes only.

"For now, I have a job to do. I am here to deliver a certain blonde..."

Her sentence trailed off unexpectedly as she glanced around her. She sighed exasperatedly, raking her hands through her hair, before yelling,

"Quinn! Would you please cut this bullcrap? Come here and get in the damn house, so's Britts and I can go gets our mack on!"

The blonde then stepped out from behind the side of the house hesitantly, eyes downcast, furtively glancing up every few seconds.

Santana huffed impatiently, then, being unable to wait any longer, tugged on Quinn's arm forcefully and yanked her over the threshold of the Berry house.

"There! Come on Britt, let's go!"

"San, wait. Q, come here." Brittany said softly, taking the scared blonde's hand gently and leading her over to the sofa, where a very tentative-looking Rachel sat.

"Okay, listen guys. I know this is probably a new and scary experience for you both, but I'm telling you, talking about stuff makes everything better. It worked for San and me, so it'll work for you too, I just know it will."

Both girls smiled gratefully at the caring blonde, thankful they had her there to help them.

"And I know she hides it well, but Santana's here for you too." she said in a loud stage-whisper.

"I heard that!" grumbled Santana, although she couldn't hide the smirk that had graced her pouty lips.

"So, I think I should go, before San starts breaking stuff." Brittany giggled. "Remember guys; talking makes things better."

Brittany made her way over to the door, but was halted by a quiet voice.

"Hey Britt?

"Yes Quinn?"

"...Thanks."

Brittany beamed at the other blonde, feeling ecstatic that she had managed to help her friends.

"It's okay Q. I just want you to be happy. You and Rachel."

"Okay B, enough with the sweet talk. Let's go!"

"Sure thing Sanny. Bye guys! Love you both!"

And with that, the cheerleaders turned, closing the front door behind them with a loud band, before making their way towards Santana's car, which was parked at the end of the drive.

They climbed into their respective seats, and Santana was about to drive away when Brittany let out a loud sigh next to her.

"What's up B?"

"I just hope they work things out. I mean, they're so happy together, I would hate to see them break up so soon."

Santana smiled lovingly at her girlfriend, and then she reached over and placed her right hand on her girlfriend's soft pale cheek, caressing Brittany's cheekbone with her thumb.

"Don't worry Britt. I know Quinn, she's not gonna let Rachel go without a fight. And besides, you did such an amazing job today; I don't see how they could resist your matchmaking charms."

"Really?" Brittany blushed, tilting her head and leaning into Santana's soft palm.

"Really. You're a genius when it comes to these things Britt; you always know what to say, unlike me. Then again, I've never really been known for having a 'way' with people." Santana said, with a wry smile.

"Aww, San. See, people don't believe me when I tell them you have a soft side, but I know it's true."

Santana chuckled at this, and brought her girlfriend's face within inches of her own. But, just before their lips met, she answered Brittany's statement with one true, simple sentence.

"To be honest B, that's all that matters."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, but I just had to have some Brittana interaction at the end there, I've missed it in my fics! :D<strong>

**So, this chapter wasn't as long as the previous ones, but this was more a foundation for what's going to happen in the next chapter. Also, I've been busy with revision for my stupid exams, so it's been harder finding time to write. But I will start writing Chapter 9 as soon as I can, and it will be longer and hopefully more satisfactory than this one. That being said, I hope you all still enjoyed this chapter, and, ****as always, reviews spur me on and give me the encouragement I need to keep writing, so don't be afraid to leave me a comment telling me what you thought! ^^**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow. ****This fic now has over 7,000 hits. That's insane! You guys are awesome :D**

**Thank you to Ondjage, Ad3n, Callie1121, and w1cked for reviewing, your reviews always make me happy and give me the motivation to keep writing ^^ **

**Anyway, I hope you guys are all enjoying the fic so far. Here's Chapter 9! –These chapters just keep getting longer and longer. I get rather carried away when writing, especially when writing fluffy scenes :3 Also, this chapter carries on on straight away from the last chapter, so it's basically a continuation of what happened previously.**

**Warning: This chapter contains LOTS of fluff, both Faberry and Brittana, 'cause I love it. May cause major fangirling and arm flailing :D **

**#FaberrittanaFTW. **

* * *

><p><em>Back at Santana's house…<em>

"Sanny?"

"Yeah Britt?"

"I'm glad we don't fight like Quinn and Rachel did. I mean, it must be horrible to not be able to hug or kiss the person you love because you've had an argument with them."

Santana continued brushing her hair in front of her mirror, as she nodded and smiled at her girlfriend, who was lounging lazily on the Latina's bed.

"Yeah, me too B. I would hate that."

She continued fixing her dark locks, which had cumulated into a heap on top of her head thanks to the sexy times she had just enjoyed with a certain gorgeous blonde, and continued to listen as Brittany spoke.

"Although, we did have that one big fight last year. About me, and you, and Artie. That was the worst time of my life…" Brittany trailed off, and began fiddling with her sleeve mindlessly as she turned to lie on her side, gazing out of the window.

She became lost in a daydream, so didn't notice Santana slink away from the mirror and slide onto the bed behind her, wrapping her arms securely around the blonde's waist and planting a kiss on her exposed shoulder.

"Yeah, but I don't like to think about that B. That was a bad time for us, we weren't getting along so I didn't get to have any of your cuddles or sweet lady kisses."

"Is that all you wanted me for?" Brittany asked, her voice loud with exaggerated shock. She turned in Santana's arms to face the Latina, who was looking at a giggling Brittany and replied with a "Yes" in as deadpan a voice as she could muster.

Brittany's face dropped, and she began doing that adorable pout that even Santana couldn't resist for too long.

"Aww, you know I'm joking B!" laughed Santana, poking the blue-eyed blonde playfully.

Brittany's face stretched into a wide grin, and she pounced, wrapping her arms and legs around the startled Santana and pulling her on top of her too quickly for her to protest.

"Ooft! Careful Britt!" giggled the tan girl, but her attention was soon grabbed by the pair of sparkling, clear-blue orbs that were trained on her from below.

A small smile formed on plump lips, as blue eyes danced with joy and love.

"Wow. You're so beautiful." whispered Santana in awe.

Brittany blushed endearingly, then squirmed a little so her head was propped up on a pillow and her body was laid out flat, until Santana's legs were stretched out in between her own long legs.

She then brought her hand up to the Latina's face, trailing her fingers lightly over pronounced cheekbones, sultry curved lips, soft tan cheeks.

"No San. **You're** the beautiful one." murmured Brittany, eliciting a squeal of gratitude from Santana.

The brunette then leaned down, softly pressing her lips onto Brittany's. The blonde whimpered a little, then pulled Santana closer to her, losing herself in the feel of the Latina's lips on hers.

They broke apart a few minutes later, gasping for some much-needed air. Santana then scrunched up her face, as if she was debating something, then spoke in a soft voice.

"You know what Britt? I'm kinda glad all that stuff happened with us last year."

Brittany tilted her head to the side quizzically, as a look of confusion flitted across her face.

"Why San?"

"Because… if none of that had happened, then I never would have realised my true feelings for you. I would never have admitted how I felt, you probably would have got back together with Wheels, and we never would've been together like we are now."

Brittany pondered this for a moment, twirling a strand of Santana's hair around her finger, as the Latina peered down at the blonde as she hovered above her, perched up on her elbows.

"Well then, I guess it's good that we got Quinn and Rachie to talk about their feelings, so they can sort everything out and be happy together too."

Santana smiled at her girlfriend, her heart swelling with love for the girl who always thought about other people and how to help them.

"Yeah. I mean, I know I act like I don't care, but Britt… I'm happy that Quinn's found someone she can be happy with. Even if it is that dwarf with no mute button on her voice box."

"San!" Brittany exclaimed, giggling and gently tapping the Latina on the nose, as if she was scolding a naughty puppy.

"What?" replied Santana, widening her eyes in an attempt to look innocent.

"Oh San. I love you so much." sighed Brittany, leaning down to press a warm kiss to Santana's neck.

The brunette shivered slightly, then laced her hands through Brittany's hair, bringing her face up so they were eye to eye.

"I love you too Britt. With all my heart."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, at Quinn's house…<em>

For a moment, the two girls simply stared at each other, unsure what to say now that they were alone, encased by a loud silence that seemed to suffocate the room. Rachel was the first to break this silence, clearing her throat delicately. Quinn couldn't help the tiny smile that formed when she heard that; she knew Rachel was terrible when it came to being quiet, so the blonde wasn't surprised that the brunette was the first to make a sound.

"S- so…" Rachel stammered nervously.

"So…" nodded Quinn, nibbling her lower lip daintily.

"Quinn…"

"Rachel, listen. I need to apologise for yesterday. The way I acted… that was wrong. And I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I know I really hurt you, but I hope you'll give me a chance to explain and try to make things better."

The brunette smiled softly, scooting an inch closer to Quinn where she sat at the end of the sofa.

Quinn took a shaky breath, trying to steady the nerves that had begun to wrack her body.

"Sorry. I've never really… done this before." Quinn mumbled apologetically.

"It's okay." Rachel said reassuringly.

"I don't even know how to begin." said Quinn, laughing shakily, her nerves becoming more and more apparent.

"Okay. Well, why don't you start by explaining to me what actually happened yesterday to cause you to be so upset?" Rachel said kindly, reaching over and tenderly taking Quinn's hand in her own.

Quinn inhaled sharply at the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed at the feel of Rachel's familiar touch.

"Okay, I guess I can do that. So, umm, you know I left class to go to the bathroom, then when I came out, Rick was waiting outside. He… he started saying stuff… stuff he shouldn't have been saying."

"What stuff? Quinn, what did he say?" said Rachel insistently.

Quinn bit her lip, worry clouding her hazel eyes.

"He… he said that you… you were a loser. And that I've 'gone down' on the social ladder ever since I started going to Glee club and… hanging out with you. And then he…"

Quinn's face twisted in anger as she remembered the last thing Rick had said to her.

"And then, he called you a… a dork, said Santana has anger management issues, called Britt a dumbass, and said… he said that I'm a cripple."

Quinn's face then crumpled, as she struggled to control the sudden rush of tears that were threatening to spill down her pale cheeks.

"Oh Quinn."

Rachel quickly adjusted her position so she was sitting on her knees, before wrapping her arms comfortingly around Quinn, trying to soothe the sobs that were causing the blonde's shoulders to shake violently.

Quinn then pulled back slightly, keeping her fingers intertwined with Rachel's. She then began to smile, as she remembered what had happened after Rick had insulted her.

"But then… then I got him back."

"What do you mean? Quinn, what did you do?" asked Rachel, her voice edged with curiosity and suspicion.

"I hit him in the face. With my crutch. I smacked him so hard, he fell over."

Quinn then snorted at the image of the fallen hockey player, which soon had Rachel giggling too.

Their laughter then began to die down, but Quinn was soon distracted by the worried look on Rachel's face.

"Rach? What's wrong?"

"That stuff Rick said. About you going down on the social ladder ever since we became friends. Well, it's true, isn't it? I mean, you never experience a Slushie facial until we started hanging out. And now, instead of people moving out of your way to let you pass when you walk down the hallway, they stand there and sneer and laugh at you. And tease you. And mock you. And… I feel like it's all my fault. If none of this had happened, you and me, I mean, then you wouldn't have to deal with any of this. You would have healed, gone back to McKinley, regained your high status and position at the top of the school. But now, you're having to endure this awful treatment, all because of me. I just… I hate the idea that I'm causing you to suffer."

Rachel's voice had become thick with guilt, and she had averted her eyes from Quinn's gaze, instead focusing on the floral pattern of Quinn's mother's cushions.

Quinn didn't know what to say. Partly, she agreed with Rachel; her status had dropped after she rejoined McKinley with Rachel as her new friend. But, she didn't blame the brunette for what had happened to her. And she was horrified that Rachel thought this at all.

"Rachel…"

"No, Quinn, I'm right. And although it hurts me more than you can imagine, I think… I think I have to let you go, at least when we're at school and we're around other people. I just want you to be happy, but you can't be happy with me, because if you keep hanging out with me people will continue to make your life miserable. So, I'll understand if you want to keep our relationship for just when we're not in school, even though I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I've never loved anyone as much as I love you-"

Rachel stopped speaking suddenly, her eyes wide with fear and shock. She dropped her gaze, muttering under her breath, cursing herself furiously.

Quinn, on the other hand, was experiencing feelings of elation, surprise, and pure ecstasy.

"You… you love me?" whispered the blonde, almost afraid that she had just imagined hearing the words leave Rachel's mouth.

Rachel raised her head tentatively, unsure whether the hope she heard in Quinn's voice was real or not.

"Well… yes. I mean… of course I do. Quinn… I've loved you ever since the day we met. I just… I was afraid to tell you, because I didn't know how much you liked me. I didn't want to scare you away by going too fast or saying the wrong thing..."

Quinn could feel her heart racing at each honest word being spoken, and feared that Brittany may have been right with her theory about heart attacks being caused by loving too much.

Meanwhile, Rachel was still rambling, trying desperately to erase her slip-up.

"…But, you know, it's fine if you're not ready to say it back yet, and I understand if you want to act like we aren't friends whenever we're at school, so you can be popular again, I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, I mean, you deserve it after all you've been through, and…"

"I love you too."

It was barely a whisper; Rachel didn't know if she had imagined hearing those four magical words ghost across Quinn's lips.

"What?"

She was staring at Quinn, her face a conflicted mixture of hope and astonishment.

"I… I love you too. I do. I didn't realise it until now, because it's only now that I have experienced losing you. And… now that I've experienced it once, that has made me realise that I never want to go through anything like that ever again. What I mean is… I never want to lose you again. I want you to be mine, forever. I'm in love with you Rachel."

Rachel merely stared at Quinn, flummoxed and speechless.

"And I don't care what other people think, either." continued the blonde. "I don't care if they think you're a dork, or if they look down on me for being with you. If anything, I should be looking down on them. Because they don't have an amazing, beautiful, talented girlfriend, and I do. And I'm proud to call you my girlfriend too. I… I want them all to know. To know that I'm lucky enough to have someone like you, to call you mine. I want to walk down the hallway with you, hand in hand, and show the world that, no matter what they say to me or do to me, they won't break me. Because I have you."

A single tear trickled down Rachel's cheek at hearing Quinn speak so honestly.

"I… I don't know what to say."

"Well, that's new." chuckled Quinn, tenderly wiping away the stray tear.

Rachel smile a little at the soft gesture, sniffling and trying to gather her thoughts.

"Y'know, I think Santana actually did a good thing for once, helping us out like this." giggled the blonde, encouraging a small snigger from the brunette.

"Who would've thought? I think she actually does have a heart, beneath that terrifying and rather hostile exterior." commented Rachel, enticing another giggle from Quinn.

"Don't tell her I told you this, but I think she actually does like you." said Quinn, a small smile playing on her pink lips. "I mean, I don't blame her. You are simply adorable."

Rachel could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, and knew she was blushing like crazy due to the unexpected compliment.

"Oh, I don't think I've ever seen you blush before! It's-"

"Urgh, I probably look awful."

"Actually, I was going to say that you look wonderful. Like a pink rose in full bloom." Quinn giggled at how corny her comment sounded, but was pleased when Rachel beamed at her and placed a light kiss on the back of her hand.

The two girls sat in silence for a few seconds, just savouring being in each other's company.

Quinn then took a deep breath, and Rachel turned to her expectantly.

"So Rach… I know I messed up, and I don't expect you to forgive me straight away, but I was hoping… do you want to be my girlfriend again?" Quinn asked nervously.

"Quinn. It would make me the happiest girl in the world if I could be with you again. And you know what? I've already forgiven you. Because I know that you didn't intend to hurt me with what you said. And… I love you. Wow, I can't tell you how long I've waited to say that!"

Quinn giggled softly, then replied,

"I love you too. I really do. You make me so happy, Rachel Berry."

"As do you, Quinn Fabray. As do you."

Quinn then leaned in, placing her hand softly on Rachel's thigh to steady herself. The brunette felt her breath hitch in her throat momentarily, then she glanced up and was calmed by the most hypnotising pair of hazel orbs, filled with nothing but love.

Their lips met, beginning a gentle rhythm, flowing against each other like water in a babbling brook tumbling over smooth rocks.

Rachel sighed quietly, as Quinn's soft pink lips tenderly caressed hers. The blonde ran her tongue over the brunette's bottom lip, nibbling it softly, as Rachel brought her hands up to stroke Quinn's waist.

The brunette hummed with pleasure at the warm contact, as Quinn made a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a growl.

"You are so sexy." Rachel whispered, her voice tainted with arousal.

"Not as sexy as you baby." murmured Quinn, her lust-filled eyes darkening dramatically.

They fell back, Quinn positioning herself on top of Rachel. She continued her assault on the brunette's lips, kissing her hungrily. Rachel kissed her back with just as much eagerness, wrapping her arms around Quinn and stroking toned thighs.

The blonde gasped, feeling Rachel's hands trailing higher and higher.

Their eyes met, and a mutual understanding occurred between them.

Rachel continued her journey, bringing her hands up to cup Quinn's face. She then pulled away, much to Quinn's disappointment, panting slightly.

"You ready babe?" the brunette whispered, her eyes bright with excitement.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life." Quinn whispered back, before leaning back down and once again kissing Rachel, with more passion and vigour than ever before.

* * *

><p>"Hmmm." sighed Rachel happily, lying next to Quinn, with her head on the blonde's chest and her arm wrapped securely around her waist.<p>

"That. Was. Amazing." breathed Quinn, her voice a mixture of awe and exhaustion.

"I personally found the experience to be very enjoyable also." replied Rachel, much to Quinn's amusement.

"I would hope so!" retorted Quinn, laughing at the expression of sheer giddiness that adorned her girlfriend's slightly flushed face.

Rachel then tilted her head up, planting a light kiss on Quinn's lips, then snuggling back into her.

"Quinn, I… I'm glad you shared this with me. All of this. I mean, you could have your choice of anyone you wanted, yet for some reason, you chose me. So thank you, Quinn."

"Rachel, no matter what you think about yourself, you're amazing. And yes, I did choose you. But you were the one who accepted me. You didn't have to do that, especially after how awful I was to you in the past. But you did. You accepted me, with all my flaws, and loved me all the same. So I think I should be the one thanking **you**."

"I guess… I guess we should both be thankful for each other. I mean, you've given me more love than I've ever had, and you've made me feel so cherished and special…" said Rachel softly.

"And you helped me during the time when I was at my lowest, when I needed support and care. You were there for me, and you never let me down." continued Quinn.

"Well, it seems as though we've both helped each other." smirked Rachel, stroking her fingertips softly across Quinn's collarbone.

The blonde arched up slightly at the touch, letting out a purr of pleasure.

"Hmm, someone's eager." giggled Rachel.

Quinn looked down, meeting Rachel's amused gaze.

She licked her lips slowly and raised one eyebrow suggestively, the action causing Rachel's heartbeat to increase suddenly.

"Time for round two?" she husked, her eyes sparkling hungry with desire.

"Well, my large lung capacity isn't just useful for my singing, you know." whispered Rachel, giving Quinn an exaggerated wink.

The blonde giggled, then was taken by surprise as Rachel suddenly swung her legs over her, straddling her and pinning her to the sofa.

She then stared straight into Quinn's eyes, chocolate brown meeting hazel green, then uttered one last sentence before kissing her passionately…

"Quinn Fabray. I am gonna rock your world."

* * *

><p><strong>Yaaay! Happy times are the best :D I love it when people make up in my fics, the world seems like a happier place ^^ <strong>

**Anyhoozel, I hope this chapter was satisfying for you all, I tried to make it as fluffy and lovely as I possibly could (: next chapter will be along ASAP!**

**-On a side note, I was looking through all my fics the other day, and I noticed that Merry Snixxmas and She Is My Unicorn don't have any reviews :( so get on it and leave me a comment pleasy squeezy! It'll make me happier than Lord Tubbington with a large bowl of hot cheese :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**First of all, here is a ****massive**** thank you to rolotwist, w1cked, Callie1121, and Ad3n for reviewing once again. I'm so glad you guys are following the fic and enjoying it! :D**

**Also, I just have to point something out… THIS FIC NOW HAS OVER 9,000 HITS. OMG. That's actually crazy! :D so thank you to all of you who have kept reading and stayed with this fic, especially those of you who have followed it from the start.**

**Anyway, enough of this incessant waffling. Here's Chapter 10, hope you enjoy it! ^^**

**-Btw, this is a future chapter, so it skips a few years. Hope you guys don't mind.**

* * *

><p><em>8 years later…<em>

Quinn heard the jangle of keys as the door clicked open, and sprung up from her position on the sofa to race over to the door to meet the petite brunette who was making her way into the apartment.

"Hey Quinn, I'm ho-jfgdfjnk!"

Her words were muffled and suddenly cut off as Quinn flew across the room and flung her arms around her startled girlfriend, causing her to drop her bag and stumble slightly.

"Hey you!" giggled Rachel, her tone a blend of surprise and delight. "What's gotten into you today?"

"Nothing, I missed you and I'm just really happy to see you!" Quinn beamed, her eyes bright with excitement. "So, how was work?"

"Oh, the usual. Tony arrived late, then Christa forgot the words to her solo _again_, then Randall showed up and gave us all a lecture on how 'we are professional performers, not kids performing in their churches' Nativity play!' But then we actually managed to get some work done, and then we discussed the roles for the new play we're going to be performing soon, and…"

"And?"

"I GOT THE LEAD!"

"Oh my god, Rach! That's amazing!"

Quinn engulfed Rachel in another giant hug and gave her a warm kiss, which the brunette returned enthusiastically.

"I know! At first, I really thought Randall was going to give the part to Jenny, just because she's had so much experience, coming from Juilliard and all, but then he turned around and said, 'Rachel, you're our new star! You're going to be playing the lead in our latest production of Funny Girl!' I just… I just can't believe it!"

Rachel then slumped back onto the sofa, the reality of the situation finally dawning on her. Quinn perched next to her, lacing their fingers together and grinning ecstatically.

"Wow Rach. I am so proud of you. Seriously, I mean you've worked so hard and come so far, and now you finally get to achieve your dreams. You deserve all of this Rachel, and so much more."

Rachel smiled at the dazzling blonde gratefully, leaning over and snuggling into her chest.

"Thank you Quinn. You know, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you. I mean, you were the one who encouraged me to take that internship at the theatre in the first place. And now, here I am, being offered the leading role in their latest show! I actually get to sing the songs that were originally sung by the one and only Barbra Streisand! Do you know how insane that is?"

"I think I'm starting to get an idea." Quinn chuckled.

"Wait. You don't think… do you think she'll be there to see it?"

"Who?" asked Quinn quizzically.

"Barbra, of course!" exclaimed Rachel excitedly.

Quinn merely stared at the brunette, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Yes. Because I'm sure Barbra Streisand has nothing better to do than abandon her busy life to come and see a play being performed in the Wadsworth theatre in downtown Los Angeles." Quinn stated flatly.

"Well, I just thought she might want to see it." Rachel huffed, sitting up and crossing her arms in a grumpy manner.

"Aww, come on Rach. Don't be like that. I was just kidding! I mean, if Barbra knew about the play, I'm sure she would love to come and see you perform. I know I would."

Quinn smiled at Rachel, hoping to get a positive response from her compliment, but the brunette merely narrowed her eyes and blew her bangs out of her eyes with a loud 'hmmphh'.

"Fine. Be like that. But if you don't talk to me, then you won't be getting any of the Chinese food I ordered."

Rachel rolled her eyes as a signal of her disinterest at Quinn's threat.

"And, I won't tell you about the exciting thing I had planned to do tonight…" Quinn stated, her expression one of amusement and excitement. Rachel snuck a peek at Quinn out of the corner of her eye, trying to ascertain whether the blonde was telling the truth or simply trying to get her to speak. But from the spark in Quinn's eyes, and the way she seemed to be trembling from head to toe, Rachel decided that she was being honest.

"Okay. What is it?"

"Uh-uh." Quinn shook her head and waggled a finger at Rachel, standing up and walking backwards, beckoning her forward. "You're going to have to do better than that. Right now I don't feel like you really want to talk to me, I think you're just pretending so you can find out what I have to say."

Quinn was smiling that cheeky smile that only appeared at times like this, and Rachel had to bite the inside of her cheek in order to stop her mouth from betraying her and beaming at the blonde. No matter how much Quinn annoyed her sometimes with her roguish yet playful games, Rachel couldn't dispute that the blonde's mischievous grin was the cutest thing she had ever seen; including the time Lord Tubbington fell into the toilet at Brittany's and tried unsuccessfully to climb out, each failed attempt resulting in him sliding dejectedly back down into the watery porcelain tub.

Rachel sighed audibly, then pulled herself up and began walking towards Quinn, her footsteps purposefully heavy and slow.

The blonde giggled, taking Rachel's hand in her own when she was close enough. "Oh Rach. You really are just the cutest thing."

Rachel couldn't control herself anymore; she smiled widely, completely abandoning her façade of hurt.

"Hmm. Well, you're pretty easy on the eyes yourself." murmured the brunette, trailing her hand up and down Quinn's arm.

The blonde giggled, leaning forward and placing a light kiss on Rachel's forehead, inhaling the wonderful scent that was the brunette.

"Mmm, Rach, you have the most... intoxicating smell." Quinn murmured, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl and pulling her into a hug.

Rachel stepped back, with a familiar look in her eye. Quinn recognised that look, and it only meant one thing; it was time for a long-overdue, extra-special-Rachel-Berry-speech.

"Well, that's what happens when you take good care of yourself using the proper methods recommended by hygiene specialists. Of course, when you have such a busy career, like I do, keeping up a routine can be hard, but I always find time, because if there's one thing my dads never let me forget, it's that first impressions are important. And who knows who I may bump into when I'm going to got my morning coffee or when I'm on my way to the gym for my weekly workout? I mean, it could be a scout from Broadway, or a fellow performer, or Barbra herself, and my god, what would I do then? I couldn't look shabby in front of _Barbra Streisand_, I mean, that's practically a crime in the world of showbiz-"

"RACHEL!"

The brunette clamped her lips together, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry Quinn. Got a bit... carried away again."

"Just a bit." chuckled Quinn.

"Anyway, what did you want to say to me? You said you had something exciting planned?" Rachel said, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Ohh, now someone's eager." replied Quinn, smirking at the impatient brunette.

"Quinnnnnnn!"

"Okay, okay! Just... give me a minute." Quinn took a deep breath, and Rachel's eyebrows furrowed with confusion. Quinn had sounded excited before, but now she seemed... nervous. "Okay. So, we've been together for quite a while now, and..."

"Oh my god. You're breaking up with me, aren't you? Oh! Quinn, whatever I did, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, knowing me it was probably a result of me speaking without thinking, but I'll make it up to you, just please don't lea-"

"Rachel Berry. If you interrupt me one more time, I swear, I will... lock away all of your CD's and force you to listen to Justin Bieber for the rest of your life!"

"Okay. I'm sorry. I'll be quiet." Rachel ducked her head in shame, like a young schoolgirl being scalded.

Quinn giggled, taking Rachel's hand and kissing it tenderly.

"Now, I need you to listen to me Rachel, and listen properly. Because this... this is serious. I'm going to talk to you, and then I'm going to ask you something. And when I do, I want you to think about it very carefully. Do you understand?"

"Umm, sure." the brunette nodded, her eyes narrowing with confusion once more.

"Okay." Quinn exhaled loudly, clenching her fists repeatedly, something she only did when she was really nervous. "So, as I was saying, we've been together for a pretty long time now. And while things have been lovely, with us now living together, you achieving your dream of working in theatre, me becoming a successful attorney... I feel like we need to do something. Something to help us, umm, move forward, y'know?"

Rachel nodded, albeit slightly apprehensively.

"So, now I want to ask you something." Quinn reached into her pocket, withdrawing from it a small, white box. Rachel gasped, her breath hitching in her throat, rendering her speechless for what was probably the first time in her life.

Quinn then crouched down on her right knee, extending her arms out towards Rachel before opening the box. It contained a simple diamond ring, the sheer beauty of it dazzling Rachel for a split second.

Quinn's next words then dazzled Rachel for much longer than a split second.

"Rachel Berry, you mean the world to me. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you, and these past eight years with you have been simply magical. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so I can wake up to your beautiful face every morning, and come home to it every day after work. I want to grow old with you Rachel, and I want you to be mine forever, so that I can cherish you, love you, and make you feel as special as you are. You're a star, Rachel. More importantly, though... you're **my** star. And so, I have one question for you... will you marry me?"

There was a second of silence that lasted the length of a single heartbeat. And then Rachel Berry exploded, producing a noise that sounded much like a mixture between a scream of joy and the sound a cat makes when it's getting its temperature taken.

"Oh my god, Quinn! Yes! Of course I'll marry you! YES YES YES! Wow, oh my god! I can't believe this is happening! It was so unexpected, I don't even... wow!"

Quinn beamed, throwing her arms around the ecstatic brunette. She then gently took Rachel's hand and slid the ring onto her finger, grinning when it slipped on smoothly without faltering.

"Perfect fit." murmured the blonde, cradling Rachel in her arms, before planting a delicate kiss first on the brunette's forehead and then on her lips.

"Just like you and me." whispered Rachel, content to remain right there, in the arms of the woman she loved, for the rest of her life.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this may seem like the end, but it's not! I have one more chapter planned after this one, so don't give up on me yet!<strong>

**But I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I tried to make it extra cute and fluffy – all the things us Faberry shippers can't get enough of! ^^**

**As usual, reviews/favourites/alerts mean the world to me, each one gives me even more inspiration and encouragement to continue writing. So don't be shy, let me know what you thought! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**First thing's first – THIS FIC HAS NOW GOT OVER 11,000 HITS. Wow. Just wow. I need to thank all of you, so much, for reading my fic, especially those of you who have stuck with it since the very beginning. You're all just supermegafoxyawesomehot! :D**

**Also, thank you to you amazing people who reviewed - w1cked, Callie1121 and Ad3n. Your reviews are always so lovely, and they make me so happy! **

**Now, I do have some sad news for you all… This is the last and final chapter of Crash :( It saddens me to think that I won't be writing it anymore, but hey, on the bright side, I get to think of a brand new story to start working on ^^ **

**But, let's not dwell on the sad stuff now, there's still this chapter to go! So, here it is, Chapter 11. I hope you all enjoy it – I apologise for making you all wait so long for this update, college has been crazy lately – and, of course, reviews make me happier than Lord Tubbington on ecstasy, so don't be shy, let me know what you think! :D**

* * *

><p><em>One year later…<em>

"Now I know I left it round here somewhere… Quinn? Quinn! QUINN!" Rachel all but roared the last word, becoming more and more flustered as the seconds ticked by.

"What? Rach, what is it?" Quinn called, hurtling into the bedroom, fearing the worst.

"I just… I can't find it! I know it was in here the last time I saw it, and now, it's gone, and I don't know what to do, and-"

"Rachel, relax! I'm sure we'll find… whatever is it you're looking for. Just tell me what you've lost, and we'll both look for it together, 'kay?"

"Okay." Rachel smiled gratefully at the blonde, then furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "It's my stuffed animal. The one that you gave me on graduation night. I left him in here the other day, but now I can't find him, and I'm really worried…"

Quinn giggled quietly at the brunette, finding her panic simply endearing.

"Oh, you mean Charlie? Rachel, honey, don't you remember? We put Charlie on the chair in the corner of our room yesterday, to keep him out of the way while we were cleaning."

Quinn nodded towards the window, under which sat the plush red armchair, which was currently suffocating under a mound of Rachel's clothes. The brunette rushed over to the accused chair, rifling haphazardly through the clothes like a woman possessed. She then let out a small squeal of excitement, as she turned to Quinn and proudly brandished a rather tattered, fluffy purple bunny high in the air.

"I found him!" she exclaimed, elation clear on her face.

"I told you we would." smiled Quinn, as she crossed the room and lovingly embraced her wife.

"Thank you baby." Rachel said, her voice heavy with gratitude, as she melted into Quinn's strong arms and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"Oh honey, you don't need to thank me. That's my job; as your wife, I have to make sure that you are always happy, and that you get everything you desire and deserve."

Rachel couldn't help but to blush when Quinn said this, burrowing her face into her collarbone, chuckling when Quinn giggled and shrieked,

"Hey, that tickles!"

Rachel then stepped back slightly, taking her wife's hands in her own, her expression suddenly serious and solemn.

"Look Quinn. I wanted to apologise for the way I've been acting lately. I know I've been really moody, and even more over-dramatic than usual" – Quinn giggled once again – "But I don't mean it. It's just the hormones I guess, they make me even crazier."

She smiled apologetically, her eyes drifting to the floor as she ducked her head.

"Aw Rach. Come here." Quinn soothed, wrapping her arms around the disheartened brunette and planting a light kiss on her lips. "Honey, I understand that you're going through a tough time right now, so it's fine. I mean, you're having our baby – that's a pretty big deal if you ask me. So, I maintain the opinion that you are allowed to act as dramatically as you want, and make the most outrageous demands. You know why? Because, growing inside of you, is a perfect, tiny little baby. A piece of you and me. And I know that, when she's born, you are going to be the most loving, caring, compassionate, _sexy _mother in the world." She said the last part with a sly grin on her face, which Rachel answered with a cheeky grin of her own.

"So, now that we're onto the topic of babies, more specifically, the mini diva developing inside me, I had something that I wanted to discuss with you, my blonde bombshell." Rachel said, in an overly-cheesy traditional British accent.

"Yes m'dear?" Quinn replied, chortling at the funny accent they had now both adopted.

"We need to talk… baby names." Rachel announced, a huge grin dominating her striking features.

"Ohhh!" squealed Quinn, the excitement evident in her voice. "Yes, I was waiting for you to bring this up!"

"Okay, so as you know, I am very organised when it comes to most matters in my life. In regards to this, I have compiled a list of my favourite names, which I then divided into categories based on gender. Then, each of those lists is split into groups of the best ones, the mediocre ones, and the emergency names, in case none of the others I have chosen take your fancy. Now, what I suggest is that we sit down and go through these lists, in an orderly fashion, with each of us selecting our preferred names, and-"

"Rachel! Wow, even after nine years together, I still can't seem to get used to your verbal tirades." Quinn chastised, shaking her head in a jokey irritated manner. "How's this? We each pick THREE names, then decide on the best one between us?"

Rachel nodded reluctantly, sad to see her idea shot down but also not wanting to upset her wife, who normally yielded and gave the diva all that she wanted.

"Okay, well, you go first." Rachel giggled, taking Quinn's hand once again and leading her over to the bed, both girls lying down on their sides so they were facing one another.

"Alright. Here goes." Quinn murmured, stroking Rachel's arm tenderly. "My first suggestion is… Jamie."

Quinn beamed, obviously happy with her choice. Rachel, however, looked a tad befuddled.

"Not that I don't love the name Jamie, but Quinn… that's a boy's name." Rachel said.

"Well, I know that, but there are girls called Jamie too."

"Hmm, I don't know." Rachel muttered. "Anyway, my turn! How about this? …. Barbra!"

The brunette clapped ecstatically, but Quinn merely rolled her eyes and exhaled deeply.

"How predictable are you?" she questioned, but immediately regretted her words when she noticed the hurt look on Rachel's face. "Look, Rach, it's not that I don't… love that name. I just don't think it fits our little princess. How about I tell you my second choice?"

The diva nodded morosely, but couldn't help the small smile that lit up her face when Quinn leant forward and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"Okay, my second choice… India."

"Honestly Quinn, do you really want our daughter to be named after a country?" Rachel teased, a cheeky glint in her eyes.

"I don't know, I just thought it sounded nice. Anyway! What's your next one, Rachy baby?"

Rachel grinned at the term of endearment, then cleared her throat.

"Patty."

"Okay, babe, if all of your suggestions are going to be famous females who've been on Broadway, I think we're going to have a slight problem." Quinn giggled, as Rachel shoved her playfully before wrapping her left arm around the blonde's waist and pulling her close, so their bodies were flush against each other.

"Hmm, I'll take that as another 'no' then, shall I?" Rachel questioned teasingly.

"Yes please." Quinn replied gently, not wanting to upset her wife again. "Well, it's my turn again. I think you might like this one Rach… Steph."

Rachel pondered this for a moment, before answering,

"I do adore that name. However, it seems too… British. We need a name that will suit our California girl… _California girls, we're unforgettable, Daisy dukes, bikinis on top!_"

Rachel had a habit of randomly breaking out into song, and it never failed to amuse Quinn. She took a minute to allow her giggles to subside, before continuing with the task at hand.

"Okay, so Steph's off the table." Quinn pouted for a second, before winking and adding, "But, that's fine, because we both still have one choice left!"

Rachel took a long, deep, dramatic breath – she might have taken a break from the stage for maternity leave, but it didn't mean she was any less in tune with the actress within her – and prepared to reveal her last suggestion.

"Okay. Here goes. My last and final name is… Juliet."

Quinn couldn't help herself. She snorted loudly, then collapsed flat out on the bed, her body convulsing with each gust of laughter that exploded out of her delicate frame.

Rachel, on the other hand, looked completed flummoxed.

"What? Quinn, what's wrong with that name? I happen to greatly admire the works of Sir William Shakespeare, and Romeo and Juliet is a particular favourite of mine. Why is it wrong to want my child to be named after one of the greatest female protagonists in history?"

By this time, Quinn had finally managed to get her breathing under control, to a certain degree.

"There's nothing… wrong with it, Rach. It just… it's not right. I think, when you find the right name, you just… _know_. Do you know what I mean? And Juliet, while it's a lovely name, it just doesn't seem right for our little girl."

Rachel nodded resolutely, stroking her slightly protruding stomach and sticking her tongue out at Quinn in a mock act of protest.

"Okay, oh wise mistress. What's _your_ last suggestion?"

Quinn chortled at Rachel's teasing tone, then spoke.

"Ahem. Alright, here we go. My last suggestion is… Sophia."

Quinn glanced up furtively, but was stunned to see Rachel looking rather… mesmerised.

"Oh Quinn." she breathed. "It's beautiful."

The blonde's eyes filled with tears, overcome with happiness.

"You really think so? Honestly?"

"With all of my heart. I love it Quinn, I really do. Sophia Berry-Fabray. It's perfect."

Quinn let out a squeak of joy, before gathering Rachel up in her arms and peppering her face with little kisses. Rachel squealed, surprised by the sudden action, then began to giggle uncontrollably at Quinn's eagerness.

"Quinn! Ahaa, Quinn! Stop! At this rate, I'll end up getting so worked up the baby will pop out right here!" the brunette laughed.

"Oops, sorry baby." Quinn said, lying back down and pulling Rachel towards her, nuzzling her face in the brunette's hair. Rachel then peered up at Quinn, love and adoration filling her eyes.

"I can't believe we're doing this together. I mean, nine years ago I was ready to marry Finn Hudson. And now, here I am, in the arms of the woman I love, with a baby on the way. And to think, none of this may have happened if I had gone ahead with that stupid wedding."

Quinn smiled, before leaning down and pressing her soft pink lips onto Rachel's. The diva returned the kiss, bringing her hand up to caress Quinn's cheek lovingly.

They broke apart a few minutes later, gazing at each other, like two love struck teenagers all over again.

"In a way, that accident was the best thing that ever happened to me." Quinn whispered, cradling Rachel in her arms. "Without it, I never would've got to know you like I did. I never would've… fallen in love with you. I mean, I always had feelings for you, but they grew so much stronger during that time we spent together in the hospital."

"Well then, that's one way to look at it in a positive light." Rachel said, a hint of chagrin in her voice.

"Yeah, well, if you don't look at everything as having a silver lining, then you'd lose the motivation to carry on. And you know what, Rach? You're my motivation. You keep me going. And for that, I'm going to love you, and our baby, forever. No matter what."

"Wow Quinn. I think, for the first time in my life, I have been beaten when it comes to the sappiest, longest speech." the brunette giggled. "But, you know something? You mean the world to me, Quinn Fabray. Through all the struggles we've had, what with finding a sperm donor, and finding the money to raise a baby, you've always been there. You never gave up on me or abandoned me when I had my, for lack of a better word, tantrums."

Both girls laughed quietly at this; Rachel's diva-tastic tantrums were still a sight to behold, even at the age of twenty-six.

"You never left me. Even when I was going to marry Finn, and make the worst mistake of my life, you were there to support me. And… I can't thank you enough."

A single tear rolled elegantly down Rachel's tan cheeks, and Quinn reached out a hand and wiped it away tenderly.

"Aww, come on Rachy baby, don't you start bawling. You'll only set me off, then we'll both be emotional wrecks." Quinn sniffled, attempting to hold back her own tears which had begun to form.

"Okay, sorry babe." Rachel said softly, before nestling deeper into Quinn's arms.

Both girls were exhausted from the emotional turmoil that accompanied expecting a baby, and so began to quickly doze off. But, just before the comforting darkness engulfed them completely for the night, Quinn leaned down and placed a sweet, lingering kiss on Rachel's slightly parted lips.

"I love you Rachel Berry-Fabray. I love you and I always will. Don't ever forget that."

Rachel stirred, opening her eyes slightly to meet Quinn's intense gaze.

"I love you too, Quinn Berry-Fabray. I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and I will continue to love you until the day I die. That's a promise."

And with that, both girls fell into an easy sleep, dreaming of spending the rest of their lives together, happily in love, with their baby girl to complete them.

You know what the best part was? That wasn't just a dream for them.

That was their reality. And, for that, they felt like the luckiest girls in the entire world.

_End. _

* * *

><p><strong>I can't believe this story has now come to an end. I'm pretty sad about this tbh. I'm really going to miss writing all the lovely Faberry-ness! :( <strong>

**But, I have to say, writing this story has been AMAZING. Seeing how many people have read it and taken the time to review it, that's just incredible. I REALLY hope you all liked it, I know I personally would've preferred this as a follow-up storyline for after the crash, rather than a little bit on Quinn with the focus on Blaine's bother -.- I have nothing against Blaine, I just think that storyline overrode the seriousness of Quinn's dilemma. ANYWAY. I'm getting sidetracked. So, I guess the point of this rather long author's note was to say: thank you. Thank you to everyone, really. Thank you to all of you awesome readers, you all get free Slushie's, on me! :D Also, thank you to everyone who added this fic to their Favourites/Alerts, which just means the world to me, and to all of you who took the time to leave me a review. **

**Well, I guess I've said about everything now. I suppose the only thing left to say is… Adios! And, I hope you all stay with me for my future stories, it would be simply brilliant to see a few of you following me as an author and assessing my progress with each fic :D **

**See ya' next time, folks! :3**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so I know I said the previous chapter was the last, but a friend of mine – not mentioning any names... Jenny ;D – gave me an idea for one more chapter, almost a sequel to Chapter 11, and I couldn't resist! Sorry if this is a bit irritating for any of you, but I just couldn't leave this fic now without putting this in **

**Also, I have to say a MASSIVE thank you to all of you, we got over 16,000 hits! That made me incredibly happy, so thank you all ^^ And thanks to all of you who reviewed – Gabbie, Ad3n, stargirl987123, w1cked, Santitaomily, and munchkinjenny05 :D**

**So, without further ado, here is (what should be) the final instalment of Crash! :D**

* * *

><p>"But mom!"<p>

"No buts. Your mother and I haven't had time together in a very long time, so you're going to your aunt's house so we can have a nice day out." Quinn said, gently but firmly.

The small chestnut-haired girl blew a raspberry at her mother, the blonde giggling while the brunette standing behind her looked a little frustrated.

"Sophia Berry-Fabray, that is no way to behave towards your mother! Apologise at once!"

"Rachel, honey, it's okay. She's young, she's still learning." Quinn soothed, before crouching down in front of her pouting daughter. "Sophia, mommy's right though. Try to be a little less of a... diva, okay?"

"Okay mommy." She nodded. She then turned to Rachel, her expression apologetic. "And sorry for being rude, mommy."

"It's okay darling." Rachel replied, smiling a little before planting a kiss atop her daughter's head.

"Okay Sophia, go and get your stuff then we'll be off!" Quinn said, before adding, "Oh, and don't forget you're seeing Mackenzie today!"

The little girl's eyes lit up at this, and she raced to her bedroom to find her shoes.

"Honestly, I don't know where she gets that attitude from." Rachel sighed.

Quinn merely cocked a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow at her wife, her expression a mixture of disbelief and utter amusement.

"Yes, she has such a calm, mellow mother, it's such a shock." she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, shush you!" Rachel chastised, before breaking out into a fit of laughter, which Quinn happily joined a few seconds later.

"Okay mums, I'm readyyyyy!" Sophia hollered, barrelling past her mother's and skidding to a halt in front of the door. "Let's go!"

"Okay darling. Quinn, you got everything babe?"

"Yep. I have you, this wonderful day out, and our beautiful little girl. That's everything I need."

* * *

><p>"Mom mom mom!"<p>

"Yes Mackenzie, what is it?"

"Are they here yet?"

"Honey, for the seventh time, you'll know when they're here because they'll ring the doorbell. Just try to calm down a bit."

Santana sighed, rubbing her forehead as she felt a headache brewing. Brittany came up behind her and snaked her arms around her wife's waist, smiling when the Latina turned in her arms to face her, kissing her nose tenderly.

"Who knew boys were such hard work, eh?" the brunette grumbled.

Brittany kissed her gently, nibbling on her bottom lip for a second, squealing with delight when Santana pulled her close and kissed her exposed neck.

"Mmm, but you have to admit, he is extremely adorable." the blonde murmured.

"Well, he must have got that from you." Santana whispered, causing Brittany to blush endearingly.

They were then interrupted by the loud buzz of their doorbell, which had Mackenzie whizzing around the room like a fly on ecstasy.

"Mommy mommy mommy they're hereeeee!"

"Well, why don't you answer the door darling?" Brittany asked, before placing one last kiss on her wife's plump, juicy lips.

"Okay!"

The stocky, dark-haired boy raced over to the front door, flinging it open enthusiastically.

"Aunt Rachel! Auntie Quinn!"

"Well, hello Mackenzie!" Rachel giggled, surprised by the boy's eagerness.

"Hey there Mac!" replied Quinn, leaning forward to give the boy a high-five.

"Hey Sophia." he mumbled, kicking at the doormat shyly.

"Hi Mac." she answered, waving nervously.

The mothers all exchanged knowing looks, fighting to keep the grins off their faces.

"Anyway, what are you all doing standing out there on the porch? You are allowed IN the house, you know that right?" Santana called, a wry grin on her face.

The Berry-Fabray family bustled into the house, Sophia following Mackenzie through a door to the right of the entrance, into the play room, which was filled with toys, movies, and video games.

"That should keep them entertained for a while." commented Brittany. She then walked up to Rachel and threw her arms around the shorter woman's shoulders. "Hey Rach! It's been a while, we've missed you guys around here!"

"Well, you know, work's been crazy lately, what with the addition of new cast members and the renovation going on at the theatre!"

"Oh yeah, how's everything going down there?"

"It's going really well actually..."

Their conversation continued, meanwhile, Santana had her arm slung around Quinn's shoulders, leading her into the kitchen.

"So, tell me Fabray. What's it like having a mini-Rachel running around your house?"

"She can be a handful, I must admit. But we adore her." Quinn said, smiling as she thought of her loving, cheeky, sometimes-over-dramatic daughter. "What about you? I bet little Mac keeps the two of you on your toes."

"Oh, of course! He just seems to never want to stay still for more than two minutes." the Latina replied, giggling while rolling her eyes.

The four women then congregated in the living room, as Santana asked,

"So, where are you two going today?"

"Well, since it's our anniversary today, we thought we'd do something special. So, we're going to New York to see Wicked, then we're going to the zoo!" Rachel stated happily.

"I can see who chose what part." Santana retorted dryly, Brittany nudging her while trying to stifle the giggles that were bubbling up in her chest.

"Anyway, how are you two going to spend the day?" Quinn asked, before Rachel could get offended and cause a scene.

"Oh, we're just going to watch a couple of movies and relax, spend some time together." the brunette said.

"Oh San, we should watch The Hunger Games!" Brittany yelled excitedly.

Quinn and Rachel laughed at this, while Santana sighed deeply.

"Britt, that's not really a very romantic movie for a couple to watch."

But Brittany simply furrowed her brow and began to pout, something she knew her wife could not resist.

"Urgh, fine!" Santana huffed, poking her tongue out and shoving the grinning blonde playfully.

"Wow San. You're still as whipped as ever." commented Quinn, winking cheekily.

"Shut it Fabray." was the response, which had all four women chuckling.

"Anyway, we'd better be off. Don't want to miss the beginning!" Rachel said in a sing-song voice.

"Okay, well, have fun! And come over more, we haven't all hung out in ages!" Brittany said, standing up to give first Rachel and then Quinn a big hug. Santana stood too, happily embracing Quinn, before doing the same to Rachel.

"Thanks for agreeing to look after Soph today." Quinn said to Santana, smiling and squeezing her hand gratefully.

"Hey, no problem." answered the brunette graciously. "Besides, Mac loves it when she comes over."

Both girls exchanged a meaningful smile, both thinking how wonderful it would be if their children ever ended up being a couple.

"Quinn, honey! Come on!" Rachel called from the hall, where she stood with Brittany.

The aforementioned blonde chuckled and shook her head as she made her way to the front door, always amused by her wife's lack of patience. She planted a chaste kiss on Santana's cheek, giving Brittany another hug, then turned to face the couple, who were holding hands and smiling contentedly.

"Okay, well, I guess we'll see you both soon. Thanks again for doing this, it means a lot." Quinn said, before opening the door and stepping out onto the front porch.

"Farewell ladies, it's been a pleasure, as usual!" called Rachel, as she made her way towards the Mini that Quinn had bought her for her birthday a few years ago.

"Bye!" called the couple standing in the doorframe. Santana then pushed the door so it swung shut, but before it completely closed, Quinn caught the beginning of Brittany's next words.

"Ohh San, I know! Let's watch The Hunger Games, then Catching Fire, then Mockingjay! And then, we can play the Hunger Games trivia game I got last year, and we can play Guess The Character, and, oh, we can say which characters we like the most, then I can dress up in that Katniss costume you bought for me, and then..."

The blonde shook her head as she too walked towards the car, never failing to be amused by Brittany's adorable ability to not be afraid to be herself and to live life by her own rules.

She opened the passenger door and climbed in, and was met by Rachel's face merely inches away from her own.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed in surprise. Her expression then softened, and she cupped the brunette's face in her hand.

"Hey there beautiful." She murmured, watching the stunning blush that crept its way up the diva's cheeks. "You ready to have an amazing day?"

Rachel nodded, then said,

"As long as I'm with you Quinn, any day is amazing. It's been that way ever since that day you proposed to me."

It was then Quinn's turn to blush, as she turned to face the front and put her seatbelt on. Rachel was about to drive off, when Quinn put a hand on her thigh and shouted, "Wait!"

Rachel braked abruptly, looking at Quinn with wide, stunned eyes.

"What is it baby?"

"Have you got your seatbelt on?" Quinn asked, already knowing the answer.

Rachel ducked her head in shame, whispering a quiet "No", which Quinn had to strain her ears to hear.

"Come on Rach! You know what happened to me last time I was reckless while driving. Now, put your seatbelt on please, then we can go."

The brunette hurried to pull the strap over her torso and click it into place, looking at Quinn when she had done it.

"That's better." the blonde nodded. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah... BROADWAY, HERE WE COME!"

Rachel spluttered, laughter exploding out of her like a bullet out of a gun. She then reached over with her right hand, keeping her left one on the steering wheel, and intertwined her fingers with Quinn's, smiling happily.

"Oh, I think we need to some music to accompany us on our journey to the Big Apple!" Quinn exclaimed, detaching her hand from Rachel's and rifling through the CD's they had stashed in the glove compartment. "Aha! Perfect."

She slid a CD into the designated slot, careful to keep the label hidden from Rachel's curious gaze.

The first few notes began playing through the speakers, and Rachel recognised the song at once.

"Stereo Hearts? Wow, I haven't heard this since..."

"Since you played it to me all those years ago when we first started dating." Quinn finished, smiling proudly.

She then reached over, taking Rachel's hand once again and lightly kissing it, as both girls sang along, filling the car with their melodic voices.

As they sped away together, Rachel knew that nothing and no one could make her happier than the woman sitting beside her. And Quinn silently vowed to be with Rachel until the day she died, because she made her life worth living.

* * *

><p><strong>Gosh, I'm such a sap when it comes to endings! xD Anyway, I hope this sequelchapter was satisfactory, especially for those of you who requested it.**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed my fic in general, it was immensely fun for me to write! And I hope you all continue to stick with me on here, there will be lot more of my stuff on the way soon :D**

**So, until then, I bid thee fair winds, my fellow fangirling, Faberrittana –loving Gleeks! ^^**


End file.
